The Oak December 2025
I can’t believe this is the last issue of The Oak for 2025. It has been an enormous year for ACORN with active involvement in many projects and policy reviews related to perioperative nursing across the country. We have just finished reviewing the College's governance structure and processes and engaged the auditor for reviewing this financial year.
The summary of the strategic plan will be on the ACORN website on Monday 8 December for review and comment.
I hope you all had an opportunity to enjoy the Perioperative Nurses Week (PNW) celebrations and the ability to reflect on the amazing things you do. Congratulations to Leonie Robertson (PNW 2025 GLUE award winner) and Tarryn Armor (Three Minute Thesis competition winner). The GLUE award is an integral part of PNW and acknowledges special nurses who are genuine, bring laughter, are unique, and above all, show empathy. Leonie was nominated by her colleagues as an exceptional nurse who is all of this and more. The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) celebrates outstanding perioperative nursing research around the world. It challenges participants to present their research and its significance in just three minutes, using language appropriate for a non-specialist audience. The judging panel selected Tarryn’s presentation about research into readiness for postgraduate perioperative nursing education as the winning entry.
Planning for the ACORN 2026 conference is progressing – last month registrations opened and the draft education program was released. Discounted registration is available for those who register before the end of March. The ACORN conference is the highlight of the perioperative nursing calendar and we look forward to seeing you in Brisbane in May next year.
The next edition of The ACORN Standards is shaping up to be the the most evidence-based and implementable standards ACORN has ever produced. There are three draft standards currently open for public consultation – we welcome your feedback. Feedback is integral to ensuring these standards are both practical and applicable, supporting ongoing improvements in patient care and safety across Australia.
As we move towards the end of the year, on behalf of ACORN staff and directors, I would like to thank you for all your support and caring for our perioperative community and I wish you a safe, joyous and relaxing festive season. The ACORN office will be closed from 22 December 2025 to 5 January 2025. We look forward to 2026 and continuing ACORN’s work towards safe, quality perioperative care that protects the health and wellbeing of every patient and nurse.
Tracy Kerle
ACORN President
-
Early registration is now open.
-
The full draft program is now live.
-
Keynote speakers – Sam Bloom and Sophie Scott
-
Gala dinner theme – Masquerade. Tickets are included in full registration.
Perioperative Nurses Week (PNW) 2025 – celebrating the stars of safe surgery
From 9 to 15 November we celebrated the extraordinary clinicians who keep Australia’s operating theatres running safely, smoothly and compassionately every day. This year’s PNW theme, STARS, highlighted the breadth of expertise across the perioperative team and acknowledged the critical role each group plays in delivering safe, high-quality patient care.
Throughout the week, ACORN shared daily messages of gratitude, inspiration and professional pride, showcasing the teamwork, innovation and resilience that define perioperative nursing. Members shared daily stories and images from their wonderful celebrations and daily prizes were awarded, proudly sponsored by ACORN partners Solventum and Molnlycke.
A highlight of PNW every year is the ACORN GLUE award which acknowledge special nurses who keep the team together ‘like glue’. ACORN are thankful to our long-standing sponsor, Multigate, who have supported these awards annually since their inception in 2021.
Congratulations to the 2025 GLUE award winner, Leonie Robertson, Nurse Manager of Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney.
ACORN courses
ACORN’s newest course, Fundamentals of PACU Nursing' is now line!
The ‘Fundamentals of …’ courses provide a comprehensive suite of content, designed to ensure all fundamental perioperative nursing topics are covered. Courses range from 16 to 26 continuing professional development (CPD) points and are mapped and approved in line with the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.
To find out more about each of the courses available, visit the Education Shop or, if you know which course you want to do, click on it below and follow the prompts.
- Fundamentals of Anaesthetic Nursing
- Fundamentals of Intra-operative Nursing
- Fundamentals of PACU Nursing
Bulk enrolment discounts are available for organisations enrolling five or more learners in any combination of the courses. Email [email protected] for more details.
And don’t forget that ACORN members receive a 15 per cent discount on all course registration fees! Simply email [email protected] to receive your member discount coupon code.
Webinars
New webinar – Occupational skin disease and hand health with Amanda Palmer
Simply log in to your ACORN account to access the full suite of ACORN webinars.
Grants and scholarships
Bravura Laser Safety Officer Scholarship applications have now closed. Winners will be announced this week and contacted directly.
The next round of applications for this scholarship will open on 1 March 2026.
Special interest groups (SIGs)
Are you passionate about a particular area of perioperative nursing? You may want to consider joining one of the ACORN 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
- Perioperative sustainability.
Celebrating a year of progress, collaboration and impact
Throughout 2025, the ACORN clinical excellence portfolio has continued to advance excellence in perioperative nursing practice across Australia. This year has been defined by meaningful engagement with clinicians nationwide, contributions to national and international standards, and ongoing advocacy for safe, high‑quality perioperative care. The following highlights capture a year of progress, collaboration and professional impact.
Advancing The ACORN Standards
One of the major achievements of 2025 has been the public consultation phase for the next iteration of The ACORN Standards: Standards for Safe and Quality Care of the Perioperative Environment. Input from perioperative nurses, health services, educators and industry partners has been integral to shaping the evolving framework. This process ensures the updated standards continue to reflect contemporary practice, emerging evidence and the needs of the perioperative workforce.
National engagement and sector collaboration
ACORN proudly connected with members across the country through participation in state association conferences – Victorian Perioperative Nurses Group (VPNG) and ACORN Queensland. These events provided valuable opportunities to share updates, listen to member experiences and strengthen relationships with perioperative clinicians and leaders.
In addition, ACORN clinical excellence representatives travelled throughout Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia to discuss the ACORN Planetary health position statement, encouraging collaborative action toward sustainable perioperative practice.
Leadership in planetary health
The development and continued expansion of the Perioperative planetary health resource page has supported members in embedding environmentally responsible practices in their local settings. This curated resource continues to grow, offering guidance, research summaries and practical tools to help perioperative teams reduce environmental impact while maintaining safe patient care.
Publications and educational contributions
Another key achievement was the review and endorsement of the fourth edition of Perioperative Nursing: An Introduction. ACORN's input ensures this foundational text reflects current best practice and supports the next generation of perioperative nurses.
Throughout the year, ACORN also undertook a detailed review of ACORN Education modules and resources, ensuring content remains current, evidence‑based and aligned with national standards.
International education and awareness were celebrated through International Perianaesthesia Week, when ACORN joined colleagues worldwide to recognise the contributions of perianaesthesia nurses and highlight advancements in clinical practice.
Standards Australia and technical expertise
ACORN continued its important contributions to national standards development through active participation in Standards Australia technical committees HE‑003, HE-011, HE‑013 and HE‑023. These committees cover a wide range of healthcare technologies and systems, and ACORN’s involvement ensures perioperative perspectives remain central to discussions on safety and quality.
External representation and advocacy
Providing expert feedback on external documents remained a cornerstone of ACORN’s advocacy activities. In 2025, ACORN:
- made a submission to the Victorian Maternity Taskforce
- reviewed the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) clinical care standards (Colonoscopy and Emergency laparotomy)
- reviewed content of Monash University perioperative postgraduate curriculum
- engaged with the World Health Organization collaboration centre (Hong Kong) Asia Safe Surgical Implant Consortium, contributing to regional dialogue on safe implantable device use.
These contributions reinforce ACORN’s commitment to influencing policy, strengthening clinical governance and supporting safe perioperative care both locally and internationally.
Looking ahead
The ACORN clinical excellence portfolio remains dedicated to advancing perioperative practice through leadership, evidence‑based guidance, advocacy and collaboration. The achievements of 2025 reflect the passion and expertise of ACORN members and partners, and we look forward to continuing this momentum in 2026.
Thank you to all perioperative nurses, educators, researchers and partners for your ongoing commitment to safe, high‑quality surgical care.
by Dr Toni Haines
Nurse practitioners are among the most highly trained nurses in Australia, with postgraduate master’s level qualifications and extensive clinical experience. Despite this, their role is routinely undervalued by the very institutions designed to support patient access to care – the private health funds.
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
AI, health, and health care today and tomorrow: The JAMA summit report on artificial intelligence
AI will disrupt every part of health and health care delivery in the coming years. Given the many long-standing problems in health care, this disruption represents an incredible opportunity. However, the odds that this disruption will improve health for all will depend heavily on the creation of an ecosystem capable of rapid, efficient, robust and generalisable knowledge about the consequences of these tools on health.
This study highlights that while nurses demonstrate high awareness and training regarding World Health Organization surgical safety guidelines, their practical adherence remains moderate, underscoring the need for continuous institutional support and targeted improvement strategies. Continuous training, targeted interventions and supportive work environments are essential to enhance compliance and ensure safer surgical outcomes.
In Australia, the carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) emissions rate for anaesthetic gases increased during 2002–2008 but declined during 2017–2022, at first primarily in public hospitals. Continuing to reduce the use of anaesthetic gases, particularly desflurane, will advance the decarbonisation of clinical practice in Australian health care.
Safe technology use in the operating room and related factors
Operating room staff generally exhibit positive attitudes and behaviours toward the safe use of technology. Higher education and prior training are associated with improved safety practices. Institutions should implement regular in-service training to support safe and effective technology integration in surgical environments.
Public consultation for ACORN standards
Latex and chlorhexidine sensitivity closing 4 December
Laser safety closing 9 December
ACORN 2026 Conference
14–16 May 2026, Brisbane Convention Centre
Papua New Guinea Perioperative Nurses Society (PNGPNS) Conference
16–17 July 2026, Port Moresby