Professional skills of the Perfusionist in Latin America.

Abstract

In this bibliographic review, the available scientific evidence on the professional competencies of cardiovascular perfusionists is evaluated in order to guide future research in Latin America that supports the proposal of a standardized competence profile adjusted to the current demands of Latin American perfusionists. An exhaustive search was carried out in different databases whose study population included perfusionists.  According to the review of the literature, a classification of professional competences for the perfusionist is proposed in: key or basic, generic or transversal and specific competences. Currently, the academic training and practice of perfusion appears to be very heterogeneous worldwide; European countries and the United States are among those that have made the greatest progress in standardizing the profession. In Latin America, there is no official and standardized profile of professional competencies for perfusionists; Scientific evidence on the current professional status and skills required by perfusionists in their field of work is extremely scarce, which makes it difficult to consolidate training programs that allow us to design a route of specific and transversal skills consistent with the complex, varied and emerging ones demands of the environment. A workforce is required to investigate the current state of skills in Latin America and consolidate an updated official skills profile located in our region; efforts that would advance the recognition, positioning, and standardization in perfusion training and practice in Latin America.