Building Competence: Hoo Knew, A Professional Development Program

Purpose:
The Hoo Knew program was developed as a supplement to our Perioperative orientation core curriculum and to promote lifelong learning, professional development, increase nursing satisfaction, and increase competencies related to floating and call shifts.

Relevance/Significance:
Operating Room nurses are enrolled in a perioperative orientation, a standardized six month curriculum, modeled after the Association of Perioperative Nurses best practices and recommended standards, which teaches new nurses how to circulate and scrub in most of our 18 specialties. Additionally during the orientation period, weekly in-services are held to familiarize new nurses with these specialties. However, poll responses showed that nurses did not know what was expected of them at work.

Strategy and Implementation:
The Hoo Knew program is designed both to teach new nurses and serve as a refresher for veteran OR nurses. Topics include complex positioning, trauma, handling specimens, forensics cases and specialty equipment. Subjects covered are selected from staff-identified knowledge defecits. Classes are held four times a month. The classes are taught by OR nursing experts. Staff nurses share their expert knowledge with nurses of all experience levels. Each class serves as an opportunity to teach others how to provide the highest quality of care to patients. Classes incorporate AORN standards and evidence based recommended practices. Demonstration of proper techniques is also included. Pre- and post-presentation surveys show knowledge levels and competence increase after each class.

Evaluation:
Veterans and new nurses are active participants and suggest topics for future classes. Demand for the program has grown so much that classes are now offered four times a month to include the evening shift. Additionally, outpatient surgery nurses are also participating in this education opportunity. Scores from the Gallup Poll went up from a mean of 4.13 to 4.16 over the previous year's results.

Implications for Practice:
Ongoing education opportunities are successful in promoting professional development and improving nursing satisfaction. The Hoo Knew program provides an opportunity for nurses to promote evidence based practice and gain confidence in clinical skills.