WHEREAS, perioperative nurses specialize in the care of patients immediately before, during, and after surgical and other invasive procedures; and

WHEREAS, serving in settings ranging from traditional hospital-based operating rooms to ambulatory surgery centers and physicians’ offices, perioperative nurses work to provide the safest care possible for patients undergoing surgical and other invasive procedures; and

WHEREAS, perioperative nurses assess individual patient needs prior to and throughout the surgical or invasive experience, develop, implement, and continuously evaluate a plan for the care of the patient, and prepare the operating room and patient for their procedure; and

WHEREAS, perioperative nurses are responsible for monitoring all aspects of the patient’s condition for the duration of each procedure, and, through professional and patient-centered expertise, are responsible for care coordination after the procedure; and 

WHEREAS, perioperative nurses play a critical role in preventing surgical site infections, which affect approximately two to five percent of patients undergoing inpatient surgery and account for 20 percent of all healthcare-associated infections; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that over 500,000 perioperative nurses are currently employed in the United States, with over 85 percent represented by women and almost 15% represented by men;

WHEREAS, patients undergoing surgery and other invasive procedures and their loved ones rely on the skills, knowledge, and expertise of perioperative registered nurses, who uphold a long tradition of improving surgical safety and the quality of patient care; and

WHEREAS, Perioperative Nurses Week recognizes the contributions perioperative registered nurses make to patient safety and the opportunities and challenges facing the profession;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize November 9–15, 2025, as PERIOPERATIVE NURSES WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.