Perianesthesia Nursing Practice
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Perianesthesia nurses work in Pre-Operative/Pre-Admission Department, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, Day Surgery, or in any specialty area where he/she is directly involved in the care of a patient who receives sedation/analgesia, anesthesia agents/techniques, and surgery.
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The scope of Peri-Anesthesia nurse’s practice involves from the assessment to the evaluation of the patient’s needs: physical, emotional, and psychological, that may be altered by the use of sedation, analgesia, anesthetic agents and/or surgical/anesthesia techniques.
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Perianesthesia nurses prepare the patient and/or the family to cope with all the phases of perianesthesia experience.
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Perianesthesia nurses promote a multi-dimensional relationship with all members of the health care team to provide the patient a safe and positive pre-, peri- and post-anesthetic experience.
Standards for Practice
The first edition was launched in May 2008, the second one in October 2011, the third one in May 2014, and the fourth one in February 2018.
A document not to be missed in your perianesthesia working environment !
Description of the Standards for Practice: NAPANc Standards
- Standards Order Form: Order Form
- Becoming a QPANA member to receive a special membership rate for your purchase of the "Standards for Pratice" document: Membership Registration
PeriAnesthesia Nursing Certification
In 2009-2010, with the request from its members, the National Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses of Canada (NAPANc) had actively organized information to submit to the CNA in order to have a Certificate Exam in Perianesthesia Care.
In May 2010, the Proposal Subcommittee of the Certification Committee completed the proposal document of 37 pages for designation of PeriAnesthesia Nursing as a specialty for certification. The members of the Proposal Subcommittee consisted of Heather Ead, Paula Fergusson and Sandra Robinson from Ontario, and Thao Le from Quebec.
In June 2010, NAPANc submitted to the CNA its proposal for designation of PeriAnesthesia Nursing as a specialty for Certification.
In March 2011, CNA has approved the proposal for Certification for designation of PeriAnesthesia Nursing as a nursing specialty.
QPANA Certification Committee is part of a group of approximately 50 PeriAnesthesia Nurses across Canada to develop the Certification Exam.
In Fall 2012, the works for the certification began. The first certification exam in perianesthesia care occurred in Spring 2014. Click here to read the great news from the CNA's Certification Bulletin.
Thus, the Certification Exam for PeriAnesthesia Nursing becomes a reality in Canada.
PeriAnesthesia Nurses Week and Day
Every year, for the recognition of the PeriAnesthesia Nurses’ work, the first week of February is nationally designated as the “PeriAnesthesia Nurses Week” and the Wednesday of that week as the “PeriAnesthesia Nurses Day”… So, for the occassion, get together with your colleagues to celebrate for a week or just for a day!
In 2020, the “PeriAnesthesia Nurses Week” was on February 3-9 and the “PeriAnesthesia Nurses Day” was on February 5.
