The Oak May 2025
Welcome to the May issue of The Oak. The ACORN directors will be meeting this month to develop the College’s strategic plan. We will keep members informed as this progresses.
On behalf of the directors and staff, I would like to thank Diane Harapin for her work with us as Chief Executive Officer over the last two years. Diane brought valuable experience of governance compliance in the not-for-profit sector as well as overseeing the College’s operations, including hosting the 2023 Perioperative Leadership Summit and 2024 ACORN Conference. We wish Diane well in her future endeavours.
The next ACORN conference will be held in Brisbane from 14 to 16 May 2026. The conference theme, 'Building Bridges: Strengthening collaborative perioperative care', highlights the vital role of teamwork and partnership in the perioperative setting. We look forward to seeing you there.
And don’t forget, the ACORN annual general meeting (AGM) will be held on Saturday 28 June, time to be advised.
Finally, we send our condolences to the family and friends of Carmel Rogers. Carmel was a warm and compassionate person who gave a lot to both SAPNA and ACORN as well as perioperative nursing as a profession.
Tracy Kerle
Board Chair
Have your say
ACORN is pleased to announce that two draft clinical standards are now open for public consultation. These draft documents are part of our commitment to developing high-quality, evidence-based guidance that supports safe and effective perioperative practice across Australia.
We invite all perioperative professionals, stakeholders, and interested contributors to review the drafts and share their feedback during the designated consultation periods. Your insights are vital to ensuring these standards are practical, relevant and reflective of the real-world experiences of our perioperative community.
Visitors to the perioperative environment
Consultation open: 7 April – 18 May 2025
This draft standard outlines recommended practices and considerations for managing visitors – such as students, observers and medical company representatives – in perioperative areas, ensuring safety and minimising disruptions.
Download the draft document then submit your feedback.
Perioperative team communication (formerly Surgical safety)
Consultation open: 1 May – 12 June 2025
Previously titled ‘Surgical safety’, this updated standard focuses on effective team communication practices – such as handovers, briefings and time-outs – which are crucial to ensuring patient safety and cohesive teamwork in the perioperative setting.
Download the draft document then submit your feedback.
Why your feedback matters
The public comment process plays a key role in shaping ACORN standards, ensuring that they are:
- clinically sound and informed by evidence
- practical and implementable across diverse settings
- aligned with the experiences of front-line perioperative professionals.
We ask that you download the draft document from the ACORN website, then submit your comments through the provided survey link. Please avoid using track changes or adding feedback directly within the documents, as this hinders the review process.
By contributing your voice, you are helping build safer, stronger perioperative environments across Australia. Whether you're a nurse, an educator, a student, medical company representative, or manager your input is essential.
Additional draft standards will be released throughout the year for consultation. Make sure you’re subscribed to ACORN updates on social media and The Oak newsletter, so you never miss a chance to contribute.
Thank you for being part of this collaborative process!
Download this public consultation poster to put up in your tearoom or education boards to share with your teams: Public Consultation Poster
Nursing interventions to promote safety in robotic surgery: A systematic literature review
Sara Morais Pires, Ana Rita Maurício, Lúcia Jerónimo, Bruno Teixeira, Dr Ana Ramos, Dr Idalina Gomes, Dr Eunice Sá
ACORN Annual General Meeting
Saturday 28 June
VPNG Conference
Friday 8 August, Pullman Melbourne
NTPNA Conference
15–16 August, Darwin Hilton
ACORN 2026 Conference
14–16 May 2026, Brisbane Convention Centre
