Most hospital leaders are well aware of the coming wave of nurse retirements. However, few leaders understand that this wave will likely hit the OR even earlier than other departments. According to research from NSI Nursing Solutions, surgical services nurses are on average older than other nursing professionals. Because OR nurses as a group are more experienced than others, retirements from perioperative nursing represent not just a reduction in headcount but a loss of decades of valuable experience. As the general population ages and older patients increasingly become eligible for complex procedures, a dramatic drop in perioperative nursing skill is particularly concerning.
