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The Oak August 2026

Welcome everyone to the latest edition of The Oak.

Since our last edition, we have been focused on finalising documentation arising from the audit and completing onboarding requirements for our new board with both the ACNC and ASIC.

Unfortunately, I have been unwell and was unable to present at the PNG Conference, which was disappointing. I would like to sincerely thank Ruth Melville for stepping in at short notice and delivering the presentation on my behalf. The conference was a tremendous success, and the organising committee should be incredibly proud of what they achieved. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Planning is already well underway for the 2028 conference in Victoria, and we look forward to celebrating our significant milestone with you all.

We will soon commence the revision of the PAT tools to align with the new standards. We are fortunate to have assembled an outstanding group of experts who will lead this important work.

Our team has also been actively involved in several working parties, including the Statewide perioperative medication management program, which is expected to be released in February 2027. The drafts developed so far are impressive and will provide a valuable resource for perioperative and pre-admission management teams.

The Intravenous Fluid working party has now completed its work, and the associated documents have been published. The team has developed national management guidelines for Sip Til Send and for the safe and efficient use of intravenous therapy in partnership with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to advancing perioperative nursing practice. We hope you enjoy this edition of The Oak.

Tracy Kerle

President

The ACORN Standards - 2026 implementation resources now available.

Since the release of The ACORN Standards - 2026 in May, ACORN has continued to expand the range of educational and implementation resources available to support perioperative teams in translating the standards into everyday clinical practice.

The new edition represents the most evidence-based and implementation-focused revision of the ACORN standards to date. While the standards provide the foundation for safe, high-quality perioperative care, meaningful improvements in patient outcomes occur when those standards are effectively implemented at the point of care. To support this process, ACORN has developed a growing suite of practical resources designed for clinicians, educators, managers and quality teams.

What's now available?

The ACORN Standards Resources page has been established as the central hub for implementation resources and currently includes:

  • The ACORN Standards - 2026 Launch Video – Watch the official conference launch presentation outlining the vision, development process and key innovations incorporated into the new standards.

  • The ACORN Standards Masterclass Presentation – Access the presentation slides from the 2026 conference masterclass, providing an overview of the new structure, evidence transparency and practical implementation strategies.

  • Standard-specific update videos – A growing library of educational videos highlighting the key changes within individual standards, explaining what has changed, why the changes were made, and what they mean for clinical practice.

  • ACORN Standards Implementation Planner (ASIP) – A practical, editable implementation planning tool designed to assist health services with introducing new standards, quality improvement initiatives, staff education and change management.

  • ASIP educational video – A step-by-step guide demonstrating how to effectively use the ASIP tool within your organisation.

  • Downloadable procedural posters supporting evidence-based practice, including:

    • Surgical hand scrub

    • Alcohol-based surgical hand rub

    • Donning a surgical gown

    • Donning sterile gloves

  • Frequently asked questions (FAQs) addressing common queries regarding access, navigation and implementation of the 2026 standards.

The Clinical Excellence team will continue releasing additional educational resources throughout the year, including further standard-specific update videos, implementation tools, clinical decision support resources and quality improvement materials designed to assist perioperative teams in embedding best practice into everyday care.

Whether you are introducing the standards across an organisation, leading a quality improvement project, educating new staff or simply keeping up to date with contemporary perioperative practice, these resources have been developed to make implementation practical, consistent and achievable.

We encourage all ACORN members and subscribing organisations to regularly visit the Standards Resources page to access the latest materials as they become available.

Access the full range of implementation resources here: https://www.acorn.org.au/standards-resources-2026

Together, we can continue to translate evidence into practice and support safe, high-quality perioperative care for every patient, on every occasion.