673d Medical Group operating room nurses nationally recognized

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The 673d Medical Group has recently been recognized by the Competency and Credentialing Institute as Alaska's first facility with a Certified Nurse Operating Room Strong designation.

The designation of CNOR Strong is reserved for institutions in which at least half of the operating nursing room staff are CNOR certified. Additionally, the facility must reward and recognize its certified nurses.

Currently, 75 percent of the 673d MDG's operating room nurses are CNOR certified.

"It tells the public we've taken a vested interest in a safety culture in the operating room. When you get certified, it means you're the expert in what you do," said Air Force Maj. Robert Raulston, commander, Surgical Services Flight, 673d MDG. "I feel like this designation brings out the safety culture that has been instituted since before I got here. With [Air Force] Col. [Teresa] Bisnett, there's always been a strong push for safety. So to me, that's just part of the culture within this medical group; it's the safety culture."

According to their website, CCI is one of the largest specialty nursing credentialing organizations in the world, whose mission is promoting safe, quality patient care and supporting lifelong learning.

CCI are the ones who oversee the credentialing of the nurses that apply for it, and they're also the ones who determine the requirements, Raulston said.

"You have to be an operating room nurse for at least two years," Raulston said. "You have to have a minimum of about 1,200 hours in the OR in practice, and you have to take a test."

A CNOR certification is not a requirement to practice operating room nursing. This is that extra step taken to make the practice better, Raulston said.

"Patient safety and positive surgical outcomes are of the most importance to a facility," said Bisnett, 673d MDG commander. "Supporting nurses as they exceed expectations to achieve their perioperative nursing certification shows the 673d Medical Group's commitment to its core values."

"The bottom line is it's more of a culture within the military and specifically in this hospital about safety and being the best you can be," Raulston said. "It's part of that core value, excellence in all we do. Why not get the certification; why not have all our nurses - if we can - get certified?

"I don't think you can go wrong there."

Raulston projects, in two months, they will have 91 percent of their nurses CNOR certified.