Project Alpha. Designing courses that recruit and retain OR nurses.
Those who participated in developing and teaching the courses gained many new skills including writing objectives and test questions, public speaking, and expertise in the topics they taught. Another benefit was the sense of pride and accomplishment in developing and presenting a quality postgraduate program. This was reinforced by student evaluations as the course progressed. In addition, they were paid by the college as salaried faculty members. The clinical preceptors benefited through the relationships they developed with their students. They were given the opportunity to exhibit their clinical skills and experienced pride and satisfaction as their novice colleagues grew. The students reaped the benefit of instruction from perioperative nurses who were enthusiastic and committed to the practice of perioperative nursing. They also received information from experienced nurses who were functioning in the OR on a daily basis. The small class size was another benefit because it allowed ample time for questions and individual instruction. Project Alpha has been an ongoing focus of the AORN of Alameda County for approximately 10 years. The chapter began with a three-day observational experience for sophomore nursing students and moved on to include a perioperative elective and management preceptorship for upper-division nursing students. Most recently, the chapter has supported the postgraduate perioperative course described in this article. The nurses completing this postgraduate program enter perioperative practice with a strong base of knowledge and sense of professionalism.