An Eye to the Future

Nearly 150 years ago, a prominent surgeon claimed that surgical nurses need to “have an eye as well to the future as the immediate present” (Barnes, 1874, p71). This reference to the need to focus urgent attention on the welfare of each surgical patient, and then extend that vision beyond the boundaries of the surgical suite, is more applicable today than ever.

When contemplating the state of healthcare, the future is now. Ubiquitous healthcare technological advances intersect with a diverse Canadian population that experiences inequitable access to care and disparities in health outcomes. As perioperative nurses, are we prepared to see beyond our technological-silo and contribute to advancing healthcare from a humanistic perspective?

Nursing in Canada: Current Status

The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) claims that as of 2022, there is a shortfall of 60,000 nurses in Canada. The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO, 2022) suggests the education sector must be funded to increase nursing numbers by increasing the seats in provincial educational programs by 10 per cent per year for the ongoing future.

Further, as a ‘new normal’ settles into the healthcare environments across the country and social issues of inclusion, diversity, accessibility, and equity rise to the forefront, nurses are being challenged to take positions on addressing these through a focus on the social determinants of health. While addressing the nursing shortage, it is apparent that an updated basic curriculum and opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) must be addressed.

Perioperative Nursing in Ontario: Current Status

From a perioperative perspective in Ontario, surgical activity declined during the pandemic up to 30% across hospitals leaving a backlog of tens of thousands of surgical procedures and negatively impacting the publics’ health and outcomes (Mitchell, 2022). The continued shortfall of perioperative nurses impacts the ability to clear these wait times.

As early as 2019, Beitz noted the shortage of perioperative nurses and advocated for novel educational opportunities to address this issue. Other studies have noted that perioperative nurses with advanced training and education are more satisfied with their jobs (Blomberg et al., 2022).

So, whether seeking initiatives to train new, or providing continuing opportunities for seasoned perioperative nurses, education plays a significant role. Ongoing education is a lifelong pursuit of continuing professional development which may be formal or informal.