Contact Us          Registered Charity

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see the frequently asked questions related to education that ACORN receives.

If you are unable to find the answer you need in the below FAQs, please submit an enquiry to ACORN Education via the ACORN website > Contact Us > Education enquiry submission, or by clicking here.

 

ACORN Education Learning Platform

To access the ACORN Education Learning Platform, simply go to ACORN Education Learning Platform.

From here, you can sign in, create an account, and view the catalog of courses available. To enrol in a course, select the course from the catalog menu and select 'register', and follow the prompts.

Learning platform sign-in page

Updated Blackboard App logo

ACORN Education course content is available in both PC and portable smart device applications.

To download the Blackboard app, click on the appropriate link below and follow the prompts:

- Apple devices, please click here

- Google Play, please click here

To access your ACORN Education course Certificate of Completion, visit https://acorn.geniussis.com/. Log in with your account details and go to your user ‘Dashboard’. This can be found in the top lefthand corner of the screen.

Dashboard

Go to the ‘Completed Courses’ widget on the upper righthand side of the screen. Click on the course that has been completed, and you will see a ‘Download Certificate’ option pop up. Select ‘Download Certificate’. Your certificate will be downloaded to your computer’s ‘Downloads’ folder.

Download certificate

 

Note: If your certificate is not appearing on the Dashboard, ensure that you have completed all ‘Test your knowledge’, and ‘Confidence Indicator’ questionnaires.

To review your completed submissions, visit the Grade Centre tab on the Course Content page.

Grade centre

If you are still experiencing issues in accessing your certificate, please contact education@acorn.org.au.

Courses

ACORN members receive 15% off course registration fees.

Please contact education@acorn.org.au for your member discount coupon code. Ensure that you include your current ACORN member number in your email. Enter this discount code at the checkout screen when registering for a course.

ACORN members can access fee waiver discounts towards post graduate qualifications (H5F Graduate Certificate in Nursing - Specialisation) through our partnership with the University of Tasmania. 2022 applications are open, apply online to commence your study.
Specialisations available to ACORN members under this scholarship are:
- Perioperative Nursing
- Leadership in Practice
- Clinical Nursing and Teaching
- Anaesthetics and Recovery
 
To be eligible for a UTAS scholarship you must be a current member of ACORN. You must submit proof of membership when you apply. Please log into your ACORN account and download your ACORN membership card as proof of membership.
If you have questions about the courses available on a UTAS scholarship, your application or your study, you must contact UTAS course enquiries directly on Health.Central@utas.edu.au, or phone 03 6226 4757.

There are ten self-directed and self-paced modules to be completed. A ‘test-your-knowledge’ set of questions is included at the end of each module to enable reflection on key concepts. The ten modules are:

  1. Role of the anaesthetic nurse
  2. Respiratory anatomy and physiology
  3. Perioperative safety
  4. Preventing and controlling infections
  5. Types of anaesthesia
  6. Communicating for safety
  7. Medication management
  8. Airway management
  9. Haemodynamic monitoring
  10. Recognising and responding to acute deterioration.

A certificate of completion will be awarded when all modules, activities and questionnaires of the course have been completed and more than 80 per cent of the questions in the ‘test your knowledge’ questionnaire have been answered correctly. Multiple attempts are available to achieve this requirement.

Continuing professional development (CPD) points achieved by completing this course will be documented on the certificate of completion.

Certificates of completion may be used as evidence for organisation’s adherence to and compliance with ACORN Standards for Perioperative Nursing in Australia (16th edition).

There are thirteen self-directed and self-paced modules to be completed. A ‘test-your-knowledge’ set of questions is included at the end of each module to enable reflection on key concepts. The thirteen modules are:

  1. Role of the intra-operative nurse
  2. Preventing and controlling infections
  3. Perioperative safety
  4. Surgical hand antisepsis, gowning, and gloving
  5. Skin preparation
  6. Common surgical instruments
  7. Accountable items
  8. Specimen handling
  9. Haemostasis
  10. Wound management
  11. Communicating for safety
  12. Medication management
  13. Recognising and responding to acute deterioration.

A certificate of completion will be awarded when all modules, activities and questionnaires of the course have been completed. A score of more than 80 per cent in each ‘test your knowledge’ questionnaire is required to demonstrate sufficient understanding of the content being provided. Multiple attempts are available to achieve this requirement.

Continuing professional development (CPD) points achieved by completing this course will be documented on the certificate of completion.

Certificates of completion may be used as evidence for organisation’s adherence to and compliance with Standards for Perioperative Nursing in Australia (16th edition).

Webinars

If you are viewing the ACORN webinars in a recorded capacity, you can download a Certificate of Continuing Professional Development by clicking below.

Certificate of CPD template

You can use this certificate as evidence of your continuing professional development for health professional registration requirements.

If you would like to request a webinar or education session topic, please submit an enquiry via the ACORN website  or by clicking below. 
 
 
We value the input and requests from our ACORN members to ensure that the education being provided is relevant and appropriate to the needs of the perioperative community.
 
You can also use this same enquiry to express your interest in providing a webinar to the ACORN members and perioperative community. We welcome expressions of interest at any time. Please ensure that you submit your contact details, and chosen education topic, and one of our team will get back to you.

Career Pathways

The Perioperative Nurse Surgeon's Assistant (PNSA) is a nurse who has undertaken additional education and mentoring to learn skills to be an assistant to the surgeon. This role provides a high level of autonomy and a high level of job satisfaction. In the intra-operative phase the PNSA provides support to both the patient and the perioperative team. The role may also involve preoperative patient assessment and post-operative patient follow-up. Working in close consultant with a specific surgeon, the PNSA:
• meets and assesses patients prior to surgery
• provides support and patient education
• ensures that preoperative screening and relevant testing has been completed
• ensures a smooth admission for the upcoming procedure. 
 
Knowledge and skills
The PNSA needs to be a highly knowledgeable and skilled perioperative nurse with excellent assessment, communication, problem solving and critical analysis skills. A PNSA practices under the supervision of the surgeon for all intra-operative practice. 
 
Education pathway 
This role is suitable for registered nurses who have completed a Bachelor of Nursing degree and a postgraduate degree in perioperative nursing.  PNSA education is offered as part of a master’s degree as well as specialist PNSA single subjects for those who have previously completed a master’s degree. PNSA students require the engagement of a surgeon mentor and supervisor. 
La Trobe University offers a specific PSNA course Perioperative Nurse Surgical Assistant (PNSA), Courses and degrees, Short courses, La Trobe University. For further information about this course please contact the Postgraduate Course Coordinator (Perioperative Care) Cathy Dean via email: catherine.dean@latrobe.edu.au.    
If you are an undergraduate nursing nurse, there are a number of things you can do to prepare yourself for the new knowledge and skills needed to be successful in gaining access to the perioperative nursing speciality. It is a great advantage if you obtain a placement in the operating suite while completing undergraduate studies and during your graduate year. When choosing where to spend your graduate year, look for health service organisations that offer the operating suite as a placement option.
 
'Fundamentals of Perioperative Nursing' programs are available on the ACORN Education learning platform. This can be accessed by selecting ACORN Courses from the Education dropdown menu on the ACORN website, or by clicking here.
 
It is also beneficial to read textbooks and use other resources which will provide a great foundation on which to build your knowledge and capabilities. Keep up-to-date with the latest in perioperative research by reading the Journal of Perioperative Nursing. You can access this by selecting 'Journal and Research' on the ACORN website navigation menu (at the top). The textbook Perioperative Nursing: An Introduction (2016, 2nd edition) is also a good reference with which to begin.