Tampa General Hospital’s perioperative transition program (PTP) is a 36-week blended learning plan that provides registered nurses with the specialized skills and clinical experience necessary for a successful career in the operating room.
Eligibility Requirements
Participants in TGH’s perioperative training program must have:
- A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree
- Licensure to practice as a registered nurse (RN) in the state of Florida
- Basic life support (BLS) certification with the American Heart Association
Physical requirements include frequent bending, stooping, pushing, pulling, lifting and continuous walking and standing. Surgical masks must be worn in the operating room.
Perioperative training requires a minimum of six hours of online coursework per week and a two-year commitment to our surgical services division following completion of the program. Participants should live within 30 minutes of TGH for on-call assignments. Upon successful completion, participants will be able to fill a circulating nurse role in TGH operating rooms.
Program Structure
The perioperative transition program at TGH features two strategically designed sections:
Perioperative Foundations (Section 1)
Under the instruction of perioperative nurse educators and surgical tech preceptors, participants will:
- Complete daily reading and weekly tests from the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Periop 101™ curriculum
- Attend classroom lectures and hands-on labs
- Complete clinicals in the operating room under expert guidance
- Achieve basic competency in the scrub role
- Take a final exam
Operation Room Service Line Specialties (Section 2)
Continuing to learn from perioperative nurse educators and surgical tech preceptors, participants will:
- Complete clinical rotation tracks in the operation room
- Rotate through specialty service lines
- Obtain preceptor and clinician evaluations and feedback
- Achieve core competencies in both scrub and circulating nurse roles
Participating Surgical Specialties
TGH’s main campus features 52 operating rooms and offers inpatient and outpatient procedures in a variety of specialties, including:
- Cardiac
- Vascular
- Transplant
- General/colorectal
- Neurological/spine
- Orthopedic/total joint
- ENT/thyroid/parathyroid
- Plastic/burn/reconstructive
- Gynecological/IVF
- Urology
- Robotics
- Bariatrics
- Pediatrics
- Trauma
Contact TGH
You can receive more information about Tampa General Hospital’s perioperative transition program by emailing one of our clinical education specialists—Michael Wallingford at mkwallingford@tgh.org, or Nicole Methvin at nscallatino@tgh.org. To apply for the program, go to www.tgh.org/careers or contact TGH Talent Acquisition at 813-844-7551.
