The Oak September 2025
A warm welcome to the September issue of The Oak!
As most of you are aware, at ACORN’s 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) two special resolutions were passed. The first was to reinstate the role of President, replacing the Board Chair. Both roles lead the Board of Directors in governance, strategic planning and public representation but in ACORN’s case the president also oversees the College’s finances and operations.
At the August board meeting nominations were put forward for the role of president and I was officially voted into this role. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be able to serve the College in this way.
The second resolution passed at the AGM was a two-part resolution to:
amend the ACORN Constitution to incorporate the category of General members
change ‘Affiliate member’ to ‘Affiliate and international member’.
The Constitution has been changed accordingly and now reflects the role of Board Chair being replaced by President. The amended Constitution was ratified at the August board meeting and is available on the ACORN website.
In addition to these changes, the board has been actively working on the College’s new strategic plan. A further meeting with the consultant facilitating the board’s development of the strategic plan will be held in September to finalise this valuable component of our business.
Planning and preparation for the ACORN 2026 conference is well under way with the MC and keynote speakers confirmed. We are pleased with how the education program is shaping up. Our call for submissions closes on Friday 19 September so submit your abstract or educational proposal before then to be considered for inclusion in this exciting event.
Tracy Kerle
ACORN President
MC and keynote speakers announced
We are delighted to announce that ACORN Fellow Sally Sutherland-Fraser will be the event host for the 2026 conference in Brisbane. The keynote addresses will be presented by the inspirational Sam Bloom and multi-award-winning medical TV journalist Sophie Scott.
Sam Bloom recovered from a shattered spine, ruptured lungs and severe bleeding on the brain, caused by a six-metre fall to become a World Para Surfing Champion. The story of her recovery, aided by her serendipitous encounter with a frail and injured magpie chick, has been made into the box-office hit Penguin Bloom. Sam's story has profound messages for us all – of the power of love and family, and of our innate ability to find determination and courage in the face of adversity.
Sophie Scott is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Notre Dame University Medical School and was the national medical reporter for the ABC until early 2023. She has a special interest in patient safety and groundbreaking medical research which improved the lives of Australians and will speak to us about preventing burnout, managing mental wellbeing and communicating with impact.
Sally Sutherland-Fraser has over 40 years’ experience as a perioperative nurse. She currently supports nursing practice in the Pacific as a consultant mentor for nurses undertaking graduate studies and as a nursing advisor for volunteers joining surgical trips with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Global Health Program. She is co-editor of the Australasian textbook Perioperative Nursing: An Introduction. Sally maintains her clinical knowledge and skills with casual work at Sydney Hospital and values the opportunity to work and walk amongst those historic surroundings.
Scholarships, a new webinar, courses, special interest groups and the ACORN 2026 conference. There’s a lot happening at ACORN Education at the moment.
Call for abstract submissions closing 19 September
Submissions are sought for both oral and poster presentations, which must address the conference theme ‘Building Bridges: Strengthening collaborative perioperative care’.
To submit your abstract complete all steps in the abstract portal.
Please direct all abstract enquiries to [email protected].
New webinar: Perioperative sharps safety
Simply log in to your ACORN account to access the full suite of ACORN webinars.
Grants and scholarships
Bravura Laser Safety Officer (LSO) education scholarship applications are now open!
This laser safety officer 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.
Submit your application before 30 November.
ACORN courses
ACORN’s ‘Fundamentals of …’ courses provide a comprehensive suite of content, designed to ensure all fundamental perioperative nursing topics are covered. Courses range from 16 to 20 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 Intraoperative Nursing
- Fundamentals of PACU Nursing (coming soon)
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.
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.
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 all members of the multidisciplinary perioperative community, as well as end-point consumers, patients and those with lived experience, to contribute. The draft Patient skin antisepsis standard is now open for feedback, and we encourage you to share your perspective. Together, we can ensure these standards are the strongest and most evidence-based they can be.
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.
As Clinical Excellence Coordinator, I was thrilled to attend the Victorian Perioperative Nurses Group (VPNG) 2025 state conference, themed ‘Innovation and excellence’, held at the Pullman Albert Park. It was a valuable opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, meet new ones and share ideas. Thank you to everyone who visited the ACORN booth – we greatly appreciate the insights you shared, especially around gaps in knowledge and areas where ACORN can advocate on your behalf.
I would also like to remind you about the ACORN Standards implementation planner (ASIP) tool. This tool, which was released late last year, includes a template, example and educational video. Uptake has been strong and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive about its usability and adaptability for supporting implementation of ACORN Standards across perioperative departments. If you have not yet explored the ASIP tool, it is available on the ACORN website.
On a broader scale, ACORN continues to represent the perioperative nursing community on Standards Australia technical committees, most recently HE-003 (Medical Electrical Equipment) and HE-023 (Processing of Medical and Surgical Instruments). We also continue to collaborate with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) on research and literature reviews, including recent work on the role of theatre overshoes in the perioperative environment. These partnerships strengthen our collective impact and reinforce the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration.
Thank you to all of you who are contributing your expertise, perspectives and ideas. Together, we are building incredibly high-quality, evidence-based and implementable standards.
by Dr Andrea Taylor
As the surgical population ages, perioperative nurses are increasingly caring for older adults with complex needs. Among this group, the presence of frailty is common, yet it is often not formally identified.
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
Recent research published in Journal of Tissue Viability in July 2025 by X Ma, J Fan, J Wang and H Lin.
Recent research published in Frontiers in Pediatrics in July 2025 by F Li, A Mao, X Niu and Q Zhou.
Recent research published in Global Health Research and Policy by E Neter, MJ Western, R Cooper, AM Silva and LM König.
Recent research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings FA Jefferson, SA Boorjian, P Thapa, MK Tollefson, I Frank, MT Gettman, RH Thompson, RJ Karnes and BJ Linder.
An alternative and efficient topicalization technique for the difficult airway: A case series
Recent research published in Cureus in August 2025 by RH Seet, J Ong, A Gobindram and JE Malanjum.
Perioperative nurses' experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and predictors of intent to stay
Recent research published in Research in Nursing & Health by J Odom-Forren, S Wente, M Rayens, and V Hooper.
Recent research published in Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing by IM Crocco, L Goodlitt, JA Parkosewich.
Recent research published in JAMA Surgery in August 2025 by B Giglio, A Albeloushi, AK Alhaj, M Alhantoobi, R Saeedi, V Davidovic et al.
Recent research published in JAMA Network Open in August 2025 by V Ledda, A Ademuyiwa, A Adisa, B Aneel, G Dhruv, PD Haque et al.
The gauze that time forgot: Unmasking a liver mass and the surgical lessons etched in cotton
Recent research published in Journal of Surgical Case Reports in July 2025 by M Medinilla, S Lopez-Valdes, CQ Diaz and D Henry.
Intraoperative cerebral perfusion monitoring with ultrafast power doppler imaging
Recent research published in Scientific Reports in July 2025 by HR Niknejad, Y Huang, AM Auricchio, A van der Zwan and M Mischi.
Recent research published in BMC Pediatrics in August 2025 by L Yang, W Tang, Q Du, Y Liu, Z Wang and X Yang.
Management of postthyroidectomy hypocalcemia using intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring
Recent research published in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery by AM Reagan, CME Robson, AA Mangino, CY Lee, DA Sloan.
Standardized perioperative protocols and variance in pediatric surgery
Recent research published in JAMA Surgery in August 2025 by L Selesner, A Gutierrez, C Vaughn, A Graveson, A Yoo, A Wooten et al.
Recent research published in Annali Italiani di Chirurgia (Italian Annals of Surgery) by Q Zeng, J Yang, L Jiang, Y Deng, X Luo, J Yang.
Recent research published in World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology by LF You, P Zhang, QQ Zhang.
Articles
Sharps safety starts with us: Why infection preventionists must lead the charge
Article and podcast from July 2025 by Tori Whitacre Martonicz.
Breaking the cycle of silence: Why sharps injuries go unreported and what can be done
Despite decades of progress in healthcare safety, a quiet but dangerous culture still lingers. Many health care workers remain afraid to report sharps injuries, fearing blame more than the wound itself.
Improving behaviours in perioperative care
Published by the Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC). Additional blog posts are available on the CPOC website as well as infographics and posters for use by health service organisations.
When Google’s healthcare AI made up a body part
Published by Becker’s Hospital Review.
Why clinical standards are essential for the responsible use of tech in health care
By Julian Coe, Managing Director, X-on Health.
By Shahbaz Salehi in Infection Control Today.
Documents of note
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) has released its new strategic plan.
Private Hospital Facts
Information compiled by the Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) based on annual data.
Education resources
European Operating Room Nurses Association (EORNA) free perioperative education video library.
Modernizing perioperative staffing: A data-driven approach to boost efficiency and morale
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) webinar and article.
ACSQHC information about the safe and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health care.
The Future of Reusable PPE in Health Care: A Sustainable and Cost-Effective Solution
Webinar and article from March 2025 by Tori Whitacre Martonicz.
AORN free gap analysis tool to assess current ERAS practices
The Perioperative Nursing Program (PONP)
Article about a competency-based program that uses a conceptual learning methodology, integrating theory with real-life surgical scenarios at the Learning Institute for Healthcare Providers in Canada.
Robotics content hub (Intuitive and Becker’s Healthcare collaboration)
Featuring webinars, eBooks, on-demand sessions, articles, podcasts and more.
Innovations and initiatives
Johns Hopkins ‘AI surgeon’ performs complex procedure autonomously, marking breakthrough
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a new AI that can autonomously perform complex surgical steps, a milestone that pushes the boundaries of automation in medicine. The system, called the Hierarchical Surgical Robot Transformer (SRT-H), successfully guided a standard da Vinci surgical robot through a gallbladder removal procedure in lab tests.
Total endoscopic robotic mitral valve repair surgery
Article by AH Aly and TS Guy in JAMA Surgery.
Introducing JAMA+ Women’s Health, a curated collection of women’s health articles from JAMA and the 12 JAMA Network specialty journals launching 5 September 2025.
Media
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) position on conflict and access to healthcare
Lethal dose of morphine given to Sheila Thurlow a 'failure' of everybody involved, inquest hears
World Health Organization Global Conference on Climate and Health
19–20 September, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
ACORN Queensland Conference
12–12 October, QT Gold Coast
ACORN 2026 Conference
14–16 May 2026, Brisbane Convention Centre