Certificate of Advanced Professional Development in Perioperative Nursing (PON) - About This Program

This eight-week certificate program prepares you for a career in perioperative (OR) nursing. Designed for working nurses, the program’s curriculum is based on the field’s highest standards and features twelve hours of weekly clinical practice.

In this program, you’ll learn:

• The perioperative nursing process through all phases of surgery
• Aseptic techniques, instrumentation, and equipment operation
• Anesthesia and medication safety
• Prevention of injuries and wound management
• Communication methods to collaborate with surgical teams
• Ethical, legal and sociocultural principles related to perioperative nursing.

Course work includes lectures, classroom activities, online modules, simulations and clinical practice.

Advance into top nursing positions.

To create this program, we worked closely with our partners in health care to identify the most useful and professionally attractive skills for perioperative nursing. In a single, eight-week course, you’ll receive the advanced preparation needed to begin a career in any aspect of the field: pre-operative, operative or post-operative.

The curriculum is based also on standards provided by the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) – the field’s leading professional organization.

Prepare for certification.

When you finish the program, you’ll have much of the preparation needed to sit for the Certified Perioperative Credential (CNOR) exam. The only accredited certification for perioperative nurses, the CNOR – and the preparation you’ll receive for it – is an exceptional opportunity for professional development.

You gain the practice. We arrange the placements.*

To help you receive your clinical hours, CSUN arranges placements for all area residents, matching you with the health care facility best suited to your needs. This allows you to focus on learning the methods, principles and practices of OR nursing, without worrying about the logistics.

For your convenience, you can also earn your clinical hours at a qualified workplace, such as your current hospital or clinic. This arrangement is ideal if you hope to build new skills but prefer the comfort of a familiar setting.

Is this program for me?

If you’re employed at a local hospital and would like to switch disciplines into a high-demand field, then this is an excellent option for you. The career outlook for perioperative nurses is outstanding, growing at a rate of 1-2% each year, with nearly a quarter of all OR nurses set to retire by 2025.

How long is the program?

An eight-week course of study, this program features a total of six hours of classroom and online instruction. The bulk of your time, however, will be spent on clinical work, helping you to hone your hands-on abilities and prepare for the rigors of the surgical process. The clinical component of the certificate is 12 hours per week. This equates, between course work and fieldwork, to a total of 144 hours for the entire program.

Get ongoing, personal support – from start to finish.

On day one, you’ll receive the support of a personal program team. These specialists, in addition to being good listeners, can help you with all administrative matters, freeing you to focus on your course work and your career.

^* Although we cannot guarantee placements for residents outside of the Los Angeles or Ventura County areas, we will make every effort to help you find a suitable local health care facility.