By Esther Espunyes, EORNA President

As perioperative nurses, we sometimes underestimate the complexity of what we bring to the operating room.

We are there to speak for the patient when they cannot speak for themselves. We coordinate people, information and processes in an environment where every detail matters. We anticipate what may be needed, identify risks and prepare for the unexpected. And throughout it all, we keep one responsibility at the centre of our practice: protecting patient safety. We identify risks, manage risks, and are always ready to respond in every unexpected situation. And throughout all of this, one responsibility remains at the centre of our practice: ensuring and improving patient safety, and together with that, the quality of perioperative care.

For me, this is what makes perioperative nursing so unique.

It is not only about the technical skills we bring to the operating room. It is about being present, being vigilant and being able to anticipate. It is about understanding the whole picture while never losing sight of the individual patient behind the procedure.

We are advocates. We are coordinators. We are anticipators. We are guardians of patient safety.

And perhaps most importantly, we are part of a team with a shared responsibility for every patient who enters the operating room.

This makes me reflect on an important question:

How can we turn this individual commitment to safety into a shared culture of safety?

That is where our next conversation begins.

#EORNAPresidentInsights #EORNAReflections #PatientSafety #EuropeanPerioperativeLeadership