Global interprofessional perioperative education: discussing the reality

Many countries of the world have outlined clearly defined and distinct roles, for the perioperative environment, that are played by various individuals from a range of professions. Each of these professions tends to educate its practitioners in an environment that is almost completely isolated from the other perioperative professions and from its peers in other countries. One can only, currently, imagine the potential benefits to be gained from the sharing of educational and clinical experience between countries and between nursing and non-nursing perioperative team members, for both patient and the entire perioperative team. If such a level of sharing existed then the entire global perioperative community would benefit. The transfer of education and clinical practice, however, between countries needs careful thought. Many educational and professional disciplines have conducted research into ways of transferring/borrowing good practice between established systems and those just commencing similar practices. Perioperative practice needs a similar research base that has explored the dilemmas of transfer and borrowing between countries. It is important to determine what information should be shared, in the best interest of the patients, what sharing is affordable, and what method of sharing will fit in to an overall, global, strategy for perioperative practice. This paper seeks to use a recent example of multi-professional perioperative learning undertaken by Advanced Scrub Practitioners to provide a possible first glance in to the "crystal ball" of future practice. The aim of the discussion is to stimulate further discussion and effective research that, if carried out correctly, will seek to encourage interprofessional and international co-operation between perioperative professionals worldwide.