A People to People nursing experience in Poland

Introductory note by Cynthia Spry, RN, MA, MSN, CNOR, column coordinator: Since 1956, the People to People Citizen Ambassador Programs have offered unique travel opportunities that foster local and global networking and provide opportunities for professionals from around the world to interact and engage in cultural activities, seminars, and humanitarian efforts. Since the 1980s, several AORN leaders have led perioperative nurses on People to People trips to China, Russia, and other countries where they have shared and learned much about perioperative practice and once again confirmed that, despite differences in available resources, perioperative nurses around the world have much in common. Just as perioperative nurses in the United States are proud of their contributions to patient safety, the ongoing movement to evidence-based practice, and their commitment to advancing the profession, nurses in less developed countries are too. This is the second of a two-part column about a People to People experience shared by several AORN members who traveled to Russia and Poland. The experience in Russia was detailed in the July 2009 AORN Journal. This column focuses on the experience in Poland.