Standards of perioperative nursing. Clinical practice/professional performance.

The standards of perioperative nursing provide a mechanism to delineate the responsibilities of registered nurses engaged in practice in the perioperative setting. The standards of perioperative nursing and recommended practices serve as the basis for quality monitoring and evaluation systems; data bases; regulatory systems; the development and evaluation of nursing service delivery systems and organizational structures; certification activities; job descriptions and performance appraisals; agency policies, procedures, and protocols; and educational offerings.