Enhancing geriatric perioperative care competencies through structured, geriatric-focused clinical rounds for operating room nursing students: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

The growing number of older adults undergoing surgery highlights the need for strengthened geriatric competencies among operating room (OR) nursing students. Despite this demand, geriatric-focused perioperative training remains limited in OR curricula. This study examined the effectiveness of structured, geriatric-focused clinical rounds in enhancing OR nursing students’ theoretical knowledge and self-reported clinical performance in perioperative care for older adults. A quasi-experimental study was conducted among 64 OR nursing students allocated by clinical rotation schedule to an intervention group ( n = 30) or a control group ( n = 34). The intervention group participated in 15 structured geriatric clinical rounds based on a six-step educational framework, while the control group received routine clinical training. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured geriatric perioperative knowledge and self-reported clinical performance. Data were analysed using paired t-tests, independent t-tests, chi-square tests, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusting for baseline values. The intervention group showed substantially greater improvement in knowledge scores than the control group (mean change + 9.34 vs. +1.73; p < 0.001). Self-reported clinical performance also increased more in the intervention group (mean change + 17.43 vs. +0.61), with ANCOVA confirming a significant between-group association (F = 9.01, p = 0.004). Older age and living with older adult family members were associated with greater gains. Structured geriatric-focused clinical rounds were associated with notable improvements in OR nursing students’ knowledge and self-reported perioperative performance. Because the design was quasi-experimental, these findings should be interpreted as educational associations rather than causal effects. Integrating this strategy into OR nursing curricula may enhance preparedness for age-sensitive perioperative care. Further research with larger samples and objective assessments is recommended. Not applicable; as a non-randomised educational intervention, the study did not meet the criteria for clinical-trial registration.