Standards resources
The application and translation of ACORN Standards into practice are crucial for achieving clinical excellence and ensuring safe, high-quality patient care in the perioperative environment. These standards provide a structured framework that guides healthcare professionals in delivering consistent, evidence-based practices across all phases of perioperative care. By integrating ACORN Standards into daily practice, healthcare teams can enhance patient outcomes, minimise risks, and promote a culture of continuous improvement. This commitment to best practices fosters a safer, more efficient surgical environment, where patient safety and well-being are prioritised, ultimately supporting the delivery of exceptional care and the advancement of clinical standards in perioperative settings.
The ACORN Standards 2026 Launch
The ACORN Standards 2026 launch plenary at the ACORN 2026 Conference in Brisbane marked a significant milestone for perioperative nursing, celebrating the release of the most evidence-based and implementation-focused edition of the Standards in ACORN’s nearly 50-year history. The presentation highlighted the extensive collaboration, public consultation and evidence translation underpinning the new standards, as well as ACORN’s commitment to supporting safe, high-quality perioperative care across Australia and beyond. The link below provides access to the recording of the plenary launch session.
The ACORN Standards 2026 Masterclasses at the ACORN 2026 Conference provided attendees with a practical and interactive overview of the newly released standards, including key changes, evidence transparency, and strategies to support implementation across perioperative and procedural settings. Presented by Edwina Eaton (ACORN Clinical excellence coordinator and editor-in-chief of the ACORN Standards), the sessions focused on helping clinicians confidently navigate, interpret and apply the updated standards in everyday practice. The link below provides the presentation slides from this masterclass session.
2026 Conference ACORN Standards Masterclass slides
ACORN Standards Implementation Planner (ASIP) tool
ACORN's practice standards are vital for implementing best practice to ensure safe, high-quality perioperative nursing care for every patient, on every occasion. The ACORN Standards Implementation Planner (ASIP) tool was developed to assist health service organisations, perioperative management, quality and safety departments and clinicians to implement ACORN standards in their organisations.
The ASIP tool is an editable tool that can be adjusted to the local health service environment and requirements, and is a resource to assist the perioperative team in implementing best practice. This tool can be used to implement new standards, for quality improvement projects, in response to a critical incident, as an education tool and for clinician professional development in the area of quality and safety.
Download your copy and an example below for use in your health service organisation.
Please watch the educational video below to learn more about the ASIP tool and how to use it.
We welcome your feedback.
Provide feedback about the ASIP Tool
Surgical hand antisepsis, gowning and gloving posters
The surgical hand antisepsis, gowning and gloving procedural step posters are available as downloadable resources to support consistent, evidence-based practice in line with the ACORN Standards 2026. These practical visual guides reinforce correct technique and sequence, helping to standardise practice, support education and competency development and promote optimal infection prevention in the perioperative environment.
Click on the link below the image to download and print poster in A4 or A3 format.
Surgical hand scrub Alcohol-based surgical hand rub Donning surgical gown Donning sterile gloves
Frequently asked questions
Please visit our FAQs page for responses to frequently asked questions related to the ACORN Standards.
ACORN Standards 2026 educational resources
Education is central to the effective implementation of the 2026 ACORN Standards, ensuring that perioperative teams not only understand the requirements but can confidently apply them in everyday practice. The accompanying video standard-specific updates are designed to support consistent interpretation, strengthen practice alignment and translate the ACORN Standards into measurable improvements in patient care and safety.
ACORN will continue to update these educational resources to aid understanding and implementation of the ACORN Standards 2026.