Roles of the perioperative nurse and informaticist and implications for practice, education, and administration.

Abstract

Technology and innovation are vital partners in the patient safety improvement process. For new innovation and technology to succeed in this process, it must be supported by the nurses who use it, the informaticist who supports it, the educators who ensure it is correctly utilized, the administrators who must budget for it, and the researchers who will demonstrate the value of technological advancements in improving patient safety. Providing training for the use of new equipment and ensuring competency of staff who will use that equipment is one of the roles of the educator, but requiring that training is a role of the administration for the surgical department.