Knowledge of surgical procedures, instruments, and supplies is essential to the perioperative nurse working in the operating room (OR). Nursing school curricula do not specifically educate surgical nurses; therefore, it is difficult to fill open OR positions with experienced perioperative nurses. The purpose of this doctoral project was to develop a perioperative educational program for RNs newly hired in the OR. The practice-focused question asked whether an evidence-based staff education program for the novice perioperative nurse would increase the nurse's knowledge of OR procedures and protocols for patient management. The novice-to-expert framework was used to explore how adult learners acquire knowledge. Five experts were asked to review the educational program for its content, readability, length, and learner objectives using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire consisting of 8 questions. Experts strongly agreed that the program content met learner objectives. The program was then presented to 4 novice nurses with a pretest/posttest consisting of 5 fill-in-the-blank questions. Pretest results showed 1 of 5 questions were answered correctly by all participants. Posttest results showed all questions were answered correctly by all participants. The educational program has the potential to create a positive social change through increased nurses' knowledge of OR procedures, which might promote improved surgical care and outcomes for patients. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]