What Is Perioperative Nursing in Australia?

Perioperative nursing involves caring for patients before, during and after surgery. Nurses work alongside surgeons, anaesthetists and other healthcare professionals as part of the surgical team.

Common positions include anaesthetic, instrument, circulating, recovery and day surgery nurses. Each role contributes to patient safety at a different stage of the surgical process.

Most perioperative nurses in Australia are registered nurses. Suitably trained enrolled nurses may also work as circulating or instrument nurses under the guidance of registered nurses. Experience across several theatre roles is common.

Nursing Roles

Perioperative nursing in Australia consists of five categories of nursing roles. A surgical team typically includes one or more nurses from each category. Each perioperative nurse may work across one, two, or all three phases of perioperative nursing: preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative.

1. Anaesthetic Nurse

The Anaesthetic Nurse prepares anaesthetic equipment and agents, assists the anaesthetist, and ensures patient comfort and safety during surgery. Anaesthetic nurses should have strong patient assessment skills and knowledge of anaesthetic methods and monitoring techniques. To meet Australian College of Perioperative Nurses (ACORN) requirements, registered nurses need postgraduate training, while enrolled nurses require a Diploma of Anaesthetic Technology.

2. Circulating Nurse

The Circulating Nurse, or Scout Nurse, manages operating room activities, assists the sterile team, and ensures patient safety. Circulating nurses understand surgical procedures, manage intraoperative complications, and have technical skills in handling surgical instruments. RNs in this role usually undertake postgraduate training in intraoperative nursing. Enrolled nurses should have studied medication administration in their Diploma of Nursing.

3. Instrument Nurse

The Instrument Nurse, often called a Scrub Nurse, sets up sterile supplies and instruments, assists the surgeon, and maintains item counts. Instrument nurses monitor the sterile environment, maintain aseptic conditions, anticipate the surgeon’s needs, and support the surgical team. RNs should complete postgraduate intraoperative training for this role, while enrolled nurses require medication administration knowledge.

4. Recovery Nurse

The Recovery Nurse, or Post Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Nurse, oversees patient recovery from anaesthesia. Recovery nurses conduct assessments and manage postoperative care, including pain management. RNs typically complete postgraduate training for this role. Enrolled nurses with a Diploma of Nursing and medication administration skills may work in second-level recovery care.

5. Day Surgery Nurse

Day surgery and pre-admission nurses prepare patients for surgery, assess their readiness, and communicate important information to operating room staff. Day surgery nurses listen to patients and collaborate closely with the surgical team to ensure safe patient outcomes. Both registered nurses and enrolled nurses with the appropriate training can perform this role.

Salaries for Perioperative Nurses

Perioperative nurses generally receive standard registered nurse pay rates. In 2025, the national average was $87,588 per year or $44.48 per hour. Graduate positions started at $72,697 per year, while experienced clinical nurses earned up to $108,329 per year.

You may expect perioperative nursing, especially operating room or surgical nursing, to attract higher earnings. Perioperative work does not necessarily pay more, and the above figures reflect average nurse pay rates for Australia rather than a separate perioperative salary.

As a nurse, your salary increases with experience and as you qualify for specialist roles such as Clinical Nurse Specialist, Clinical Nurse Educator, or Clinical Nurse Consultant. Perioperative nurses can progress into each of these positions. Specialising in perioperative nursing does not generally result in higher or lower pay on its own.

How to Become a Theatre Nurse

To become a Theatre Nurse, you’ll need to complete a nursing degree and gain experience in surgical wards.

Start by earning a Bachelor of Nursing. Those with a degree in another field can complete a master’s degree in nursing practice instead.
Next, register as a nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and gain a year’s experience as a Registered Nurse.
Then, complete a postgraduate qualification, such as a Graduate Certificate in Perioperative Nursing.

Any registered nurse or suitably trained enrolled nurse can work in theatre and call themselves a theatre nurse. Experience and relevant qualifications are needed to apply for roles beyond entry level.

Related: Nursing Certification Programs

How Hard Is Perioperative Nursing?

Perioperative nursing can be one of the more challenging nursing roles because of the pressure of the operating room environment. Team-based work and a clearly defined role can make the pressure more manageable. The work also becomes easier with experience.

Perioperative nursing is task-oriented, as most nurses have limited interaction with surgical patients, at least while patients are conscious. Isabella, an operating room nurse, observed, “It requires less critical thinking… you’re more focused on the things that you’ll need for this patient’s surgery to be successful.”

A new perioperative nurse faces a significant learning curve. Initially, you might find the range of surgical procedures, the complexity of operating room protocols, and the pace of work daunting. As operating room nurse Alyssa Presley pointed out, “I worry a little bit if somebody were to go straight from school into the operating room that it would be so overwhelming that they would peace out.”

Comfort usually grows over time, bringing greater job satisfaction. Alyssa commented, “Being able to calm a patient has just been so rewarding for me… it’s still giving me that fulfillment.” Isabella exclaimed, “Seeing cool surgeries… sometimes it feels really rewarding… seeing kids have their cleft lip or palates repaired… it’s such a beautiful thing.”