ACORN Count Resource Package
Australian perioperative nurses are familiar with the ACORN Standards for Perioperative Nursing and indeed, incorporate them into their daily patient care practice.  However, there are times when further assistance is required to operationalise these Standards, Guidelines and Position Statements.

The ACORN Count Resource Package has been compiled following requests from perioperative nurses throughout Australia to provide this assistance and to ensure that all perioperative personnel carry out safe and responsible practice whilst undertaking the surgical count.
The package has been researched and written by expert perioperative nurses from all States and Territories with the focus toward guiding the novice perioperative nurse to both familiarise themselves with Standard S3: Counting of Accountable Items Used During Surgery (2008) and to apply this standard to the Nursing process within the perioperative environment to ensure positive patient outcomes.
The ACORN Board offers the ACORN Count Resource Package in the hope that by furthering awareness and understanding of the surgical count that the perioperative nurse will continue to make a major contribution to patient safety in the operating room.
This resource package is the first in an ongoing series that will contribute to and enhance the education of Australian perioperative nurses.


Nanette Lundie  RN, FRCNA, MACORN
Chair 2006-2008 Standards Committee.


Copies of the 2008 ACORN Count Resource Package can be purchased using the

 Order Form 30/07/2008,12:41 237.23 Kb

or by contacting the ACORN secretariat
or by telephone (08) 8387 9666 or fax (08) 8322 2999.