In perioperative care, where clinical precision, patient safety, teamwork, and professional standards are paramount, access to authoritative, evidence-based knowledge is essential. The Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) supports perioperative professionals with a curated suite of publications tailored to daily clinical challenges, professional learning, leadership development, and career progression. Alongside this, the EBSCOhost e-Book Library Collection, included as an AfPP member benefit, expands access to a broad range of clinical and academic e-books. Together, these resources offer a structured, flexible, and rich educational ecosystem for perioperative practitioners.

“In the dynamic perioperative environment, these resources empower practitioners to stay current, perform competently, and lead with evidence-based confidence, ultimately benefiting patient care and service quality,” said Emma-Jane Graham, AfPP’s Head of Department Clinical, Publications, Education and Professional Services.

AfPP Books: Targeted, practice-driven resources

AfPP’s books are written by perioperative practitioners and experts specifically for perioperative practitioners, educators, managers, and students. Each publication supports different aspects of perioperative knowledge, from foundational behaviours to advanced competency development.

Standards & Recommendations for Safe Perioperative Practice – Fifth Edition

A cornerstone of perioperative learning, this authoritative reference provides comprehensive guidance on evidence-based best practice for theatre teams. It covers topics such as legal and ethical issues, risk management, infection prevention, human factors, training and competencies, and more. Widely used as a reference for staff education, local policy alignment, and quality improvement.

Educational benefits:

• Supports consistent, safe, evidence-based practice across the perioperative pathway.
• Helps departments benchmark against national standards.
• Valuable for clinical governance, audits, and reflective practice.

Staffing for Patients in the Perioperative Setting – Fourth Edition

This guide focuses on safe staffing decision-making in perioperative services. It gives evidence-based approaches, staffing formulas, and practical recommendations to help teams ensure adequate workforce resourcing for patient safety and staff welfare.

Educational benefits:

• Equips leaders and managers with tools to plan and justify staffing levels.
• Helps practitioners understand workforce planning as a contributor to safety outcomes.

Surgical First Assistant Competency Toolkit

This toolkit supports organisations in developing and implementing competency-based training for Surgical First Assistants. It’s ideal for mentors, managers, and those progressing into assistant roles.

Educational benefits:

• Provides structured competency frameworks
• Supports induction and training programmes tailored to the operating theatre environment.

Perioperative Audit Tool – A Gold-Standard Framework for Safe Practice

The AfPP Perioperative Audit Tool helps theatre teams assess and improve perioperative practice through audit. It provides measures and templates for examining care pathways, identifying risks, and driving quality improvement.

Educational benefits:

• Strengthens understanding of audit methodology.
• Encourages reflective practice and quality improvement.

Sharing Knowledge in the Perioperative Environment

Designed for students, newly qualified practitioners, and mentors, this publication offers practical learning tools, reflective prompts, and guidance on developing clinical knowledge and professional behaviours.

Educational benefits:

• Supports early career education and mentorship.
• Builds foundational understanding of perioperative roles and expectations.

Theatre Etiquette: A Guide to Theatres

An essential primer for all perioperative newcomers and professionals working across disciplines, this book explains the culture, expectations, behaviours, and basic practices in the theatre environment.

Educational benefits:

• Helps orientate staff to perioperative setting.
• Reinforces professional conduct and teamwork fundamentals.

Stories From The Operating Theatre and Other Essays – Professor Harold Ellis

A collection of engaging narratives from surgical history and practice, written by Prof. Harold Ellis, CBE, this book blends learning with storytelling. It brings to life pivotal moments and personalities in surgery that shaped modern perioperative care.

Educational benefits:

• Offers historical context that enriches professional identity.
• Makes learning memorable and thought-provoking.

EBSCOhost e-Book Library Collection: Broadening horizons

In addition to AfPP’s targeted publications, AfPP members gain online access to a curated e-Book collection via EBSCOhost. This includes 30+ books across clinical practice, leadership, research, education, and related health sciences. These digital resources support:

• Flexible, on-demand learning across devices.
• Evidence-based clinical reference at the point of need.
• Academic study and professional development, including assignment support, research methods, ethics, and advanced practice topics.

The curated nature of the collection ensures relevance across career stages and roles, whether developing clinical skills, preparing for leadership, or staying updated with emerging concepts.

Combined educational impact

Together, AfPP publications and the EBSCOhost e-Book Library Collection form a powerful educational ecosystem that:

• Strengthens clinical competence and patient safety outcomes.
• Encourages lifelong learning and research literacy.
• Supports CPD, revalidation, and reflective practice.
• Enhances professional confidence and accountability.
• Bridges practice-specific guidance with interdisciplinary academic insight.

Find out more about AfPP Publications, and buy copies, here: https://www.afpp.org.uk/books/, and find out more about the EBSCOhost e-Book Library Collection here: https://www.afpp.org.uk/professional-development/ebscohost/