Perioperative Nursing

•  Skill Set

A Skill Set is issued by an academic division upon successful completion of a combination of approved courses that provide specific skills.

Description
These courses provide Registered Nurses with the skills and knowledge necessary to work in hospital operating rooms or freestanding day surgery units. Participants have the opportunity to apply theory to practice in surgical environments throughout the state of New Mexico.

Career and Advancement Opportunities
Jobs are available for perioperative nurses in Albuquerque and throughout the state. Registered nurses may find employment as scrub and/or circulating nurses.

Special Requirements
Current New Mexico license, CPR certification, a physical exam, PPD and current immunizations (including DTP, MMR and hepatitis B) are required. Students may be required to undergo routine drug screening and a criminal background check prior to beginning their clinical experience. Students with a criminal background may have limited employment opportunities in healthcare and public service. Those who have a felony conviction should refer to the relevant New Mexico legislation (NMSA, Section 29-17-5 for healthcare employees available at http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/05%20Regular/final/HB0627.pdf). Students should also contact appropriate credentialing or licensing agencies and local or regional industry for hiring and employment practices. Contact the HWPS Division Office at (505) 224-4111 for more information.
Students are required to provide documentation from a licensed healthcare provider that they can safely lift a minimum of 50 lbs. prior to beginning their clinical experience. Students interested in certain Health, Wellness and Public Safety Division programs must be in good physical and psychological health. Some programs require documentation of a recent health screening from a licensed healthcare provider confirming the ability to safely perform program specific activities and lift a minimum of 50 pounds. Reasonable accommodations are made for those students with disabilities. However, some disabilities may prohibit students from completing program specific competencies or gaining employment. Students with a disability that may interfere with completing program competencies, which may include providing safe patient care, are advised to contact the HWPS Division Office at (505) 224-4111 for more information. Written permission from the program chair is required for enrollment.
All Health, Wellness & Public Safety Division career technical courses required for graduation must be taken for a traditional grade of A, B or C. For Health, Wellness & Public Safety career and technical courses offered only for credit/no credit, a grade of credit (CR) must be earned.
Students are required to pay a program fee of $80 for PRNS 260L which covers the cost of x-ray badge, parking and preventative lab tests in case of needle stick or other exposure to bodily fluids.

Graduation Policy
Health, Wellness & Public Safety Division students must graduate under the current catalog.

• Pre- and corequisites are listed in course descriptions and are subject to change with each new catalog. It is the student’s responsibility to meet the pre- and/or corequisites in effect for the term in which a course is taken, regardless of the catalog under which the student entered or will graduate.
  Students may be stopped from enrolling or may be disenrolled if pre- or corequisites are not met.
• Students who have successfully completed courses that no longer exist from previous catalogs will be accommodated. Contact the division at (505) 224- 4111 for more information.

CONTACT INFORMATION
For information contact Amy Rademacher-Neel, director of surgical programs, (505) 224-4166, arademachernee@cnm.edu, or from Academic Advisement and Career Development at (505) 224-4321.