Perioperative nurses recently came together to celebrate Perioperative Nurses Week.

The week takes place each year to acknowledge and celebrate the work perioperative nurses do to ensure patients are given a high standard before, during, and after surgical procedures.

A number of activities took place across the hospital to celebrate the week including a bake-off competition, name on-hat competition, theatre hat swaps and baby photo guessing competition.

These competitions allow for great connectivity between units and highlight the positive workplace culture that our perioperative nurses share with other healthcare professionals.

Perioperative nurses have highly complex roles. They are a critical part of the surgical team involved in a range ofmajor and minor surgeries including major trauma, severe burns, spinal cord injuries, heart surgery, emergency deliveries, kidney transplantation, neurosurgery, and interventional neuroradiology.

NSLHD Director of Nursing and Midwifery Claire Harris thanked perioperative nurses across the district for their constant contributions to patient care.

“Perioperative Nurses Week raises awareness of the work these staff undertake, their role in patient safety and clinical outcomes as well as patient experience. Our perioperative nurses are some of the most highly skilled nurses in our workforce and their work deserves this recognition.

“I’d like to thank all of our perioperative nurses for their work in maintaining patient safety, delivering high-quality care, and continuously pushing the boundaries of excellence in surgical nursing.

“Our surgical services could not run without the skill and expertise you carry out your work with, and we all congratulate you on the
excellence you exemplify.”