Podcast: The Importance of Specialty Electives at the Undergraduate Level

Newly graduated nurses who are hired directly into critical care settings may not understand the role of the nurse in a specific setting and are at higher risk for leaving their position very soon after hire. Jessica Reuter, a CON faculty member, created a specialty perioperative elective that allows students to explore the perioperative setting and learn whether it is a good fit for them. OR nurse managers reported that new hires who completed the elective were more successful in the perioperative orientation period than students who did not have the elective. You may find opportunities to translate Jessica’s ideas into a specialty elective course that will increase student success in the workplace and decrease turnover for practice partners.