See one, do one, teach one: Advanced perioperative nursing practice in Australia

Abstract

The phrase ‘see one, do one, teach one’ is often used in perioperative nursing, particularly in relation to the acquisition of advanced practice skills. The phrase reflects a method of clinical teaching in which we observe a skill, perform the skill on our own, and then teach others how to perform that skill. Historically, this was the way that perioperative nurses learnt and passed on all manner of advanced skills. This pragmatic approach to training was suitable for the time but in this age of clinical governance, with the emphasis on patient safety, it is no longer deemed appropriate. Unfortunately, nursing has struggled to develop appropriate methods for passing on our advanced skills which means we run the risk of losing them as our senior nurses retire.