Oakton offering new perioperative nursing course

Oakton Community College, in partnership with NorthShore University HealthSystem, is offering a new elective in perioperative nursing. The eight-week course prepares nursing students through the use of theory and clinical experience to provide care to patients throughout the surgical experience.

To enroll, students are required to have successfully completed one year of a nursing program that includes clinical experience. The four-credit class would take place at a NorthShore University HealthSystem facility, and class size is limited.

Oakton is providing this course to fulfill a vital need. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of operating nurses is expected to grow by 19 percent into the next decade as approximately 60 percent of operating room nurses are expected to retire by 2022.