The Oak March 2025
Welcome to The Oak for March. In this bumper issue you can read about the many and varied aspects of ACORN’s education program, what lies ahead for the ACORN Standards, the latest perioperative news around the world and a featured journal article about innovative approaches to patient education.
Following the success of our conference in November, we are looking ahead to the next one. We will soon be announcing the dates for the 2026 conference and where it will be held. Work is also underway to obtain a venue for the 2028 conference.
ACORN’s activities are guided by our strategic plan. In the next month, the directors will be holding a strategic workshop to determine the strategic direction we will follow for the next few years.
ACORN’s mission is to advocate for safe, quality perioperative care for every patient on every occasion. The ACORN Standards are a key element of the work we do towards fulfilling this mission. As we review and revise our standards we invite ACORN members to join one of our standards workstream teams (WSTs). This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to shaping the future of clinical practice standards.
ACORN conferences and Perioperative Nursing Week are highlights of the perioperative calendar. We are seeking expressions of interest from members who would like to join our Events Committee. Please submit your expression of interest before 23 March 2025.
Last but not least, the ACORN annual general meeting (AGM) will be held on Saturday 28 June, time to be advised.
ACORN Education Committee
The primary function of the ACORN Education Committee is to provide clinical insight and professional recommendations about the content of the ACORN Education courses, resources, programs and services to ensure they are consistent with legal, professional and industry standards and codes of practice, and reflect trends in newly published research, technical innovations and emerging scientific and biological issues.
Visit the ACORN Education Committee webpage for more information or to apply.
Courses
As the year begins and new nurses join the perioperative field, ACORN’s ‘fundamentals’ courses provide a comprehensive suite of content, designed to cover all the fundamental topics of perioperative nursing. Courses range from 16 to 20 continuing professional development (CPD) points and are mapped and approved in line with the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.
Visit the Education shop to find out more about each of the courses available. Or, if you know which course you want to do, click on it below and follow the prompts.
And don’t forget that ACORN members receive a 15 per cent discount on all course registration fees! Simply email education@acorn.org.au to receive your member discount coupon code.
Webinars
ACORN Education webinars are free for all ACORN members – this is a benefit of being part of the ACORN community. Simply login to your ACORN account to access the full suite of ACORN webinars.
New webinars are added every month. Recent webinar topics include:
- local anaesthetic systemic toxicity
- ACORN position statement on planetary health
- preventing hypothermia
- ensuring aseptic integrity and the role of anti-microbial drapes in critical aseptic surface safety.
Grants and scholarships
Bravura Education is offering scholarships for ACORN members to complete a laser safety officer (LSO) training course (surgical and operating suite).
This laser safety officer course is suitable for those who work in an operating suite or other clinical environment that uses lasers. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the operation and hazards of lasers. The course is delivered online and takes eight to ten hours to complete. You can study at your own pace, in your own time and take as long as you like to do it. Assessment is a two-hour, online, open-book exam.
Applications are now open. One ACORN member from each state will be awarded a scholarship to complete Bravura Education's LSO training.
Apply for this scholarship. Applications close on 31 May 2025.
Special interest groups
Are you passionate about a particular area of perioperative nursing? You may want to consider joining one of the ACORN Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to connect with like-minded passionate nurses and industry experts.
Current SIGs:
- Day Surgery Nurses
- Perioperative Managers
- Perioperative Enrolled Nurses
- Preceptors and Facilitators
- Perioperative PhD Group.
ACORN Standards – what lies ahead?
Work has commenced on the next iteration of the SSQCPE (Standards for Safe and Quality Care in the Perioperative Environment). This project is a crucial step towards ensuring that our practices align with the most up-to-date research, best practices and the transparent tracking of information. As we progress, we aim to maintain the highest standards in perioperative care and ensure that our practices continue to evolve with emerging evidence and advancements. Stay tuned for further updates!
Expressions of interest for ACORN’s standards workstream teams
We are pleased to call for expressions of interest (EOIs) for ACORN members to join one of our standards workstream teams (WSTs). This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to shaping the future of clinical practice standards.
Teams are focused on various aspects of the SSQCPE, and involvement will help guide future improvements. Team members will be responsible for gathering and appraising research, so experience in this area is essential. We are looking for individuals who are familiar with critically evaluating evidence and who can contribute to the development of well-rounded and evidence-based standards.
This is a voluntary role and an excellent opportunity to have your voice heard and help ensure that the best standards are upheld across Australia’s health care sector.
Visit ACORN member WST representatives to learn more about the different teams and the terms of reference. We encourage all members passionate about clinical excellence to get involved.
International PeriAnaesthesia Week 2025
International PeriAnaesthesia Week (IPAW) 2025 was a resounding success, with numerous events celebrating our community and achievements in perianaesthesia care. We are also thrilled to highlight the G.A.S. Award nominations, which were an inspiring testament to the outstanding contributions made by professionals in our field.
ACORN representation on national and international committees
ACORN continues to actively represent the perioperative nursing community on both national and international platforms. This month, we contributed to the Standards Australia Technical Committee (HE-003), working on key industry standards that impact patient care. We also submitted a detailed response to the Victorian Maternity Taskforce, advocating for improvements in maternity care across the state.
These contributions allow ACORN to help shape the future of health care policies and practices, ensuring that our profession’s voice is heard at the highest levels.
We are proud of ACORN’s continued growth and achievements in the area of clinical excellence and look forward to your continued involvement.
Make sure to check out this month’s WHIP (What’s happening in periop) to stay up to date with what’s happening in research, reports and innovation in the perioperative environment across the world.
Innovative solutions for surgical education: A digital approach to health literacy and learning style
by Cory Williams
Abstract
Introduction: The perioperative journey is filled with anxiety for patients, often exacerbated by poor communication and inadequate understanding of pre-operative information. Ineffective perioperative practices can lead to adverse outcomes, including poor health outcomes, increased surgery cancellations, extended hospital stays and higher health care costs. Addressing patients’ health literacy levels and learning preferences is crucial for developing effective educational resources.
Discussion: This paper takes the stance that health literacy and learning needs are essential components of pre-operative assessment and workup. To achieve this, validated instruments and decision support tools must be integrated into the pre-operative workflow to assess and plan patient-centred pre-operative education. This paper proposes a digital tool to assess and measure health literacy and learning preferences, aiming to tailor educational interventions for surgical patients. By incorporating validated health literacy assessments alongside learning style questionnaires, clinicians can be provided with reputable recommendations for personalising patient education. Effective patient education, aligned with individual learning styles, enhances comprehension and engagement, ultimately allowing for improved surgical outcomes and reduced health care costs.
Conclusion: Integrating digital tools for health literacy and learning style assessment in surgical education has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes and optimise resource utilisation. This patient-centric approach ensures personalised, effective education thus enhancing patient care and potentially reducing overall health care costs. Policymakers and health care providers should invest in the potential of these types of digital tools to promote equitable and effective health care delivery. Further research is needed to explore the development of such tools and evaluate the long-term benefits and scalability of personalised education in diverse settings.
Read the full article
ACORN’s work is supported by seven state and territory perioperative nursing associations (the local associations or LAs).
While each of the associations retains its own integrity and independence, together we find strength in unity to provide professional leadership in perioperative practice and the advancement of safe, quality perioperative nursing care for Australians.
Research
Safety of inpatient care in surgical settings: cohort study
A study published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) examined adverse events in perioperative care at 11 hospitals in the United States of America, involving 1009 patients out of 64 121 surgical admissions in 2018. The findings showed that 38 per cent of patients experienced adverse events, with 15.9 per cent having major events. Of 593 adverse events, 59.5 per cent were deemed potentially preventable, and 20.7 per cent were definitely or probably preventable. The most common events were related to surgical procedures (49.3%), followed by adverse drug events (26.6%), infections (12.4%), patient care issues (11.2%) and blood transfusion reactions (0.5%).
Patient safety and root cause analysis in health care
Patient safety is essential in health care; the aim is to prevent errors and harm to patients. Root cause analysis (RCA) is a key method used to identify and address the underlying causes of adverse events. Recent research has examined RCA’s effectiveness in health care settings, noting both its benefits and limitations.
The latest volume in the Elements of Improving Quality and Safety in Healthcare series, published by The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute, explores the role of measurement in health care improvement. It discusses key principles, core concepts and challenges, highlighting the importance of measurement in improvement efforts. While Edwards Deming emphasised that measurement is vital for improvement, he also argued against the myth that if something can’t be measured, it can’t be managed. The authors stress that most improvement efforts benefit from a combination of qualitative and quantitative measures.
Experiences of nurses speaking up in health care settings: A qualitative metasynthesis
This study, published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, reviewed 15 studies on nurses' experiences of speaking up in health care settings. It found that barriers included hierarchical structures and a poor work environment, while supportive factors included interprofessional responsibility and a positive, supportive atmosphere. The study emphasises the challenges of fostering a safety culture that encourages speaking up.
News
Seven spine, orthopaedic surgery 'firsts'
Since November several spine and orthopaedic innovations made their debut at practices and health systems.
European Perioperative Nurses Day 2025
On Saturday 15 February 2025, the European Operating Room Nurses Association (EORNA) celebrated European Perioperative Nurses Day 2025. The theme was 'sustainability' and the motto was ‘Innovate, educate, elevate: Honouring perioperative nurses’.
14–15 March
Saturday 28 June
8–9 August
You are warmly invited to join:
- the ACORN Events Committee
- the ACORN Education Committee
- an ACORN Standards Workstream Team.
