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Introduction The author is a theatre nurse with more than twenty years experience of perioperative care. For the majority of her time in clinical practice the author was involved in the training and education of both student nurses and student operating department practitioners (ODPs). This involvement started, following training, as a mentor and assessor for both groups of students, leading to the position of internal verifier for the NVQ programmes for ODPs and perioperative health support workers. This experience in education and training led to promotion as training co-ordinator for the critical care directorate of a busy district general hospital. For the past seven years the author has been employed as a senior lecturer on a three year ODP pre-registration programme at a North West university.

Sixty patients receiving care for terminal cancer commented on their discussions with doctors and nurses. Of these, 40 had some awareness of dying and none disapproved of open discussion. Of the 21 reporting little or no truthful conversations with staff, nine were critical, but the other 12 were not dissatisfied, including some aware of the prognosis.

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A role model, according to the Online Oxford English Dictionary (2014) , is ‘A person looked to by others as an example to be imitated’. However, can we say that in health care—within its multi-faceted, complex environments—this simple definition is sufficient to demonstrate exactly what defines a role model in a clinical setting? Flynn (2011) discusses how within health care, role modelling is used not only to convey knowledge as a means to effective learning, but is a means to embed within the student qualities, such as behaviour, attitudes and values. Flynn ( 2011 : 167) suggests that by teaching these qualities it is hoped to encourage the development of ‘sound professional characteristics’. The development of professionalism is considered to be essential in health education within all professions ( Davis, 2013 (nurses); Hinton, 2014 (operating department practitioners); Lombarts et al, 2010 (radiographers); Ainsworth and Szauter, 2006 (doctors)). This final article—of a series of three examining professionalism—will examine the application of role modelling in health education and consider the impact and benefits of good role models and the implications of bad examples of role modelling for all students, with a particular emphasis on perioperative students.