The Oak March 2026
ACORN continues to advance a strong and strategic program of work across national, international and clinical domains. Our sustainability project, undertaken in partnership with an external consultant, is progressing well and is providing valuable insights to support ACORN’s long‑term organisational resilience and the future capability of the perioperative nursing profession.
Internationally, the forthcoming International Federation of Perioperative Nurses (IFPN) Annual report will highlight ACORN’s contributions and reinforce Australia’s leadership in global perioperative standards.
We are also preparing for a collaborative meeting with the Australasian College of PeriAnaesthesia Nurses (ACPAN) to explore joint initiatives that strengthen national advocacy and professional alignment.
Key clinical projects are tracking strongly, with the perioperative medication management initiative releasing drafts for the first five medications for sector consultation. Engagement has been positive and is informing the next phase of development. In addition, ACORN recently participated in the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS) workshop reviewing clinical indicators for anaesthesia, with the first draft of the revised indicators expected in April. This work will support national consistency and enhance the measurement of perioperative quality and safety.
In February, we welcomed a new member to the ACORN team. Fiona Kong has joined us on a temporary basis as Publications Officer while Eleanor is on long service leave. Fiona has more than 20 years of healthcare experience spanning clinical nursing, infection prevention and epidemiological research on health care–associated infections and has recently completed an Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing.
Tracy Kerle
ACORN President
Masterclasses
Masterclass selections are now open – places are limited and pre-enrolment is required.
Expert-led masterclasses will run across all days of the conference and provide a unique opportunity to dive deeper into key perioperative topics, learn from leaders in practice, and take practical insights back to your workplace.
Masterclasses are kindly supported by our event’s wonderful sponsors, including platinum sponsor Mölnlycke and silver sponsors Medline, Multigate, Solventum and Stryker.
Other conference highlights
- informative and inspiring education program
- 2026 Judith Cornell Oration – delivered by Ruth Melville
- guest speakers Sam Bloom and Sophie Scott
- The ACORN Standards launch
- induction of new ACORN Fellows and presentation of the Excellence in Perioperative Nursing awards
- social events Welcome reception and Gala dinner
- vibrant exhibition hall.
This month at ACORN Education, we’re focusing on the conference, courses and scholarships.
Conference
At the ACORN 2026 International Conference, we’re thrilled to present a comprehensive series of interactive masterclasses designed to deepen clinical knowledge, enhance practical skills and explore innovations that directly impact perioperative practice.
These focused sessions will be led by expert facilitators and supported by our industry partners, covering topics such as patient warming, sharps management, surgical site infection reduction, surgical plume management, airway management (Can’t Intubate Can’t Oxygenate), fluid management and sustainability, and unpacking the newly released ACORN Standards 2026.
Each masterclass offers hands-on learning in a small-group setting, providing attendees with practical insights and strategies they can apply immediately in their clinical environments.
Registration for all masterclasses is included with your conference registration, making them an integral part of your ACORN 2026 experience. However, places are limited and pre-enrolment is required during the conference registration process to secure your spot. We encourage delegates to enrol early to avoid missing out on these valuable educational opportunities that complement the main scientific program and contribute to professional growth and excellence in perioperative nursing.
With the start of the year and an influx of new graduate nurses entering perioperative departments around the country, ACORN’s ‘Fundamentals of …’ courses have seen a surge in enrolments, with educators and managers recognising their benefit in providing fundamental knowledge and understanding of perioperative concepts, standards and skills.
The courses are fully online and can be completed in the learner’s own time at home or in the workplace. 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, as well as the ACORN Standards and ANZCA position statements and guidelines.
To find out more about each of the courses available, visit ACORN’s 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 Intraoperative 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 code.
Grants and scholarships
The final Bravura laser safety officer (LSO) scholarship winners for 2025 have been notified and a new round of applications will open 1 March 2026.
This LSO 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.
In each round, 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 2026.
It is an exciting time at ACORN as we continue shaping the next iteration of the ACORN Standards. The current public consultation process is underway via the ACORN website, and we are encouraged by the significant and constructive feedback already received. We look forward to ongoing engagement across the remainder of the consultation period.
Each draft standard is available for review for six weeks, and we warmly invite you to contribute whether you’re a member of the multidisciplinary perioperative community or an end-point consumer, patient or someone with lived experience. We encourage you to share your perspective – together, we can ensure these standards are the strongest and most evidence-based they can be.
Current drafts out for public consultation:
- Nurse practitioner
- Enrolled nurse
- Preventing inadvertent perioperative hypothermia
- Perioperative manager.
Coming soon:
- Asepsis
- Anaesthesia nurse
- Registered nurse (RN).
Behind the scenes, our workstream teams are diligently drafting the remaining evidence summaries and standards. These are progressing well and it is truly exciting to watch this next iteration of evidence-based standards come to life.
Thank you to all who are contributing expertise, perspectives and ideas. Together, we are building the most evidence-based and implementable standards ACORN has ever produced.
Abstract
Introduction: Operating room nurses worldwide face combined ergonomic and psychological challenges that can compromise their performance and job satisfaction, as well as patient safety. While numerous studies have examined these issues separately, little is known about their integrated effects, particularly in resource-constrained healthcare systems.
Objective: This mixed methods study aimed to identify and prioritise psychological and ergonomic factors affecting the performance of operating room nurses in public hospitals in Ilam, Iran, and propose actionable strategies to improve their working conditions.
Methods: The study involved three participant groups in two sequential phases. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants (nursing managers, clinical psychologists and experienced operating room nurses), followed by thematic analysis using MAXQDA 2020. Findings were refined through a Delphi panel of 15 experts. In the quantitative phase, 169 operating room nurses were selected from a population of 300 via stratified random sampling, and factors were ranked using the Friedman test. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ilam University of Medical Sciences (IR.MEDILAM.REC.1404.119) in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Results: Qualitative analysis revealed five major thematic categories (psychological, organisational, supportive, ergonomic, technological) and 32 sub-themes, narrowed to 22 factors after screening. Ergonomic priorities included ‘workplace design’ (mean rank = 18.25±1.85), ‘ergonomic equipment’ (17.80±1.82) and ‘body posture’ (16.45±1.78). Key organisational and psychological factors were ‘supportive leadership style’ (16.20±2.01) and ‘occupational self-efficacy’ (15.90±1.97), respectively.
Conclusion: Enhancing operating room nurses’ performance requires addressing both ergonomic and psychological dimensions. Redesigning workspaces, providing ergonomic tools and implementing psychological training programs are critical for improving workplace conditions. These findings offer actionable insights for hospital management to optimise nurse performance and wellbeing.
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.
Public consultation for ACORN standards
Nurse practitioner (closing 12 March), Enrolled nurse (closing 13 March), Preventing inadvertent perioperative hypothermia (closing 31 March), Perioperative manager (closing 6 April)
ACORN 2026 Conference
14–16 May 2026, Brisbane Convention Centre
Papua New Guinea Perioperative Nurses Society (PNGPNS) Conference
16–17 July 2026, Port Moresby
More events button, linked to ACORN events calendar.