With the exponential growth in the number of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree programs and DNP graduates, an opportunity exists to identify ways DNP-prepared nurses can best be utilized in the perioperative setting. The Task Force to Define the DNP Role in Perioperative Services was formed at the direction of AORN Past-President David A. Wyatt, PhD, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC. Dr Wyatt charged the Task Force to explore the impact of the DNP-prepared nurse on perioperative nursing practice.
An extensive literature review revealed a paucity of research showing a direct correlation between the DNP-prepared nurse and effects on patient, organizational, and team outcomes. The Task Force sent a survey to AORN members to elicit the current state of DNP roles, percentage of members prepared at the DNP level, and outcomes associated with the DNP-prepared nurse. The synthesis of the information from the literature review, the survey, and expert consensus of DNP-prepared nurses on this Task Force supports our conclusion that the DNP-prepared nurse can influence perioperative nursing practice in achieving positive outcomes for patients, nurses, surgical teams, and organizations.
Health care organizations and perioperative departments should embrace the role of the DNP-prepared nurse to improve patient safety and overall department performance initiatives specific to the perioperative environment. In our white paper, we explore and define the role of the DNP-prepared nurse in perioperative services; recognize the flexibilities in the role of the DNP-prepared perioperative nurse; and identify the effects the DNP-prepared nurse can have on evidence-based practice, quality improvement, systems leadership, and workforce development strategies.