In Portugal, the European Perioperative Nursing Day has been celebrate in the previous day, because it was Saturday and so most easy to do a exhibition. We have made a “street activity”, building an OR in a central square in Lisbon and Porto.
The objectives of these activities were divided in two categories: for children and for adults.

• For children’s, with an activity like a game, we expected to provide some tools to approach the OR and put away the fears related the surgical procedures.

• To adults we ask and inform about their rights to participate in all the surgical process, asking to mark the right site of the surgery and trying to empower people regarding OR care and self-security.

We distribute some flyers explaining the WHO concern with “SAFE SURGERY SAVES LIVES” and explaining the recommended practice about “wrong site”.
In Porto we had more or less 200 visitors and in Lisbon about 300 visitors.
We have a guest book with very positive comments about the initiative.
The Portuguese television has been there and reported the activities in the main journal at lunch and dinnertime. Several newspapers made a notice regarding the celebration and we have been present in a TV program. It was been a great commemoration with a lot of media impact.
For AESOP : M.J. Dias Pinheiro / M. Valente – Lisboa 2009