Perioperative Nursing/RN

Are you an RN who thrives in a high-energy environment? Do you enjoy life-long learning? Are you interested in becoming a leader of collaborative patient care? Consider becoming a perioperative nurse.

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Perioperative nurses care for patients undergoing surgery or invasive procedures. As part of the perioperative team, you practice as a scrub nurse and circulating nurse, collaborating with surgeons and anesthesiologists to facilitate surgical procedures.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s nationally accredited Perioperative Nursing/RN program prepares you to work in the fast-paced world of today’s OR. Best of all, our online program enhances your professional credentials while allowing you to maintain professional and personal responsibilities.

Perioperative Nursing/RN is an advanced certificate program offered full-time or part-time through online distance education. Choose the full-time option to complete the program in eight months or the part-time option to complete the program in three years. Your education is based on the latest evidence-informed best practices for perioperative nursing. You’ll study the nursing process in perioperative nursing, principles and practices of aseptic technique and highly technical skills for working within a surgical environment.

Who qualifies?

To enroll in the program, you must be currently licensed with the registered nurses’ licensing body in the province where you will be completing your clinical practice education.

Why Saskatchewan Polytechnic?

Sask Polytech is one of the most respected providers of nursing education in Canada. The Perioperative Nursing/RN program is approved by the Operating Room Nurses’ Association of Canada (ORNAC), which opens doors to jobs across the country. As a student, you’ll access innovative virtual reality videos of real surgery. Our emphasis on hands-on learning ensures you have the knowledge, the skills and the confidence you need to deliver patient care in the surgical environment.

One-week skills lab

Patient safety is the focus of a one-week skills lab. It’s an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in a supported environment, using simulations to practice hands-on skills.

10-week clinical practice

Your learning experience culminates in a 10-week clinical practice. It begins with a four-week instructor-led clinical practicum, followed by another six weeks of preceptored clinical practice in different surgical areas, including gynecology, urology and orthopedics.

Regina and Saskatoon are the main sites for clinical placements. Clinical placements in smaller centers (Lloydminster, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Prince Albert and Swift Current) may be available but are not guaranteed. Travel to Regina or Saskatoon for lab and clinical may be required.

You will be able to select your preferred clinical site when you submit your application, using the Site Confirmation form. Simply submit the completed form with your application to the program, or separately by fax or email as indicated on the form. If you wish to apply to more than one clinical site, you must submit a separate application with fee.

Earn professional credentials

When you graduate, you’re eligible to:

Write the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) certification exam to earn a CPN(c) designation
Apply for practice hours to maintain your registration with the College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRNS)
Earn transfer credits to post-RN degree programs at the University of Saskatchewan

Refer to Frequently Asked Questions for additional information.

Career and salary information

Your career

Perioperative nurses are in demand across Canada, thanks to evolving health care delivery models and advances in medical technology. It’s an exciting career path with a growing number of opportunities in urban and regional hospital operating rooms, ambulatory surgery centres, freestanding clinics and more.

Do you need help deciding if these careers could be a good fit for you? Contact Career Counselling Services or visit healthcareersinsask.ca.

Do you already know this is the program you want to take but need more detailed information or help applying? Connect with a Recruitment Advisor.

Part-time delivery

To graduate and receive a credential for this program, part-time students must apply to the program and be admitted before taking the practicum (PRAC 189).

To register for individual courses, please view the part-time offerings available in the Courses section below.

Admissions

Admission requirements

Licensed with the registered nurses’ licensing body in the province where you will participate in the lab and clinical components. Your registration must be active and current to participate in the lab and clinical components.
English Language Requirement is considered met as evidence through licensure with the registered nurses’ licensing body.

Note

Accepted applicants are required to provide evidence of the following upon admission into the program:

Current immunization records and meet Saskatchewan Polytechnic requirements
Current CPR Health Care Provider/AED Level 'C' Certificate
Current Transferring Lifting Repositioning (TLR®)© certification
Current N95 respirator mask testing. The cost of N95 respirator mask testing is your responsibility. Must be fitted for 2 masks.
2015 WHMIS Globally Harmonized System (GHS) certification. The cost of WHMIS certification is your responsibility.
Accepted applicants will be required to provide evidence of a Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search upon admission to the program. At the discretion of the practicum agency, you may be declined access to a clinical or work placement based on the contents of the Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search. The cost of the Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search is your responsibility.

Admission method

First Qualified/First Admitted

The First Qualified/First Admitted (FQFA) process is used for the majority of Saskatchewan Polytechnic programs. When we determine that you meet the program's admission requirements, you will be offered admission based on the date you fully qualify for the program. The earlier you provide the appropriate documents and information that qualify you for admission to the next intake, the earlier you might begin your studies. Your application, once qualified, is always considered for the next intake.

Applicants to programs with multiple intakes in an academic year remain in the application pool until the last intake for that academic year has begun. Programs using the FQFA process receive applications year round and maintain an application pool for each academic year. Qualified applicants who are not offered a seat must reapply for the next academic year.

Sponsored programs or programs targeted to specific groups do not accept applications year round or maintain an application pool.

See Admission Processes for more information about this method of admission.

Tuition and fees

Estimates are based on current rates and are subject to change. Amounts for a program may vary by campus. Totals shown here include all mandatory fees as well as approximate cost for books and supplies. Visit the Tuition and Fees web page for a complete breakdown of tuition and fees for this program.

2025-26 academic year

$5,290

Courses

Semester information only pertains to full-time/on-campus students, and part-time/online students should view course prerequisites when scheduling courses.

Get credit for what you know

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

Saskatchewan Polytechnic recognizes that adults learn in many different ways. This includes acquiring knowledge and skills through life and work experience or non-formal training.

See link(s) below to get more information about PLAR.

Accreditation

Operating Room Nurses' Association of Canada (ORNAC)

Medical Device Reprocessing Technician

Perioperative Nursing LPN

Additional information

For more information, email perioperative@saskpolytech.ca or call 306-775-7575.