Perioperative Nurses Week 2023
15th November 2023
For Perioperative Nurses Week, we’re recognising and celebrating the role of our perioperative nurses, their teams and the importance of the work they do in our patient experience, before, during and after surgery.
Whilst they work alongside other incredible hospital staff, a perioperative nurse is the last person a patient sees when they are being prepared for surgery and the first person they see when they wake up in recovery. Our Calvary perioperative teams are key to providing safe and compassionate care for those who are often feeling their most anxious and vulnerable.
This year, we’re introducing you to three members of Calvary Riverina Hospital‘s perioperative nursing team where they tell you, what it is they love about their jobs.
Meet the Team
Anastasia Hookway – a new graduate in Anaesthetics
Q. What do you love most about your role as a perioperative nurse?
A. I love the diversity of my role – no day is the same. It’s what brought me to working in theatres.
Q. What’s special about perioperative nurses?
A. Guiding patients through their theatre journey and learning high acuity skills. It is so very different to ward nursing.
Q. What do you hope your patients would say/would remember about the care you provided to them?
A. That we provided them with the best possible care that allowed them to keep their dignity and respect.
Q. What have you learned during your time as a perioperative nurse?
A. Everything! With it being so different to working in a ward setting, there are so many duties and skills to learn in a high paced and acuity environment.
Rodney Henderson – Floor Coordinator for 21 years
Q. What do you love most about your role as a perioperative nurse?
A. It’s the ability to help patients at their most vulnerable. I am able to play a small (but important) part in someone’s life, if only for a short period of time.
Q. What’s special about perioperative nurses?
A. The incredible skill level across areas like team work, problem solving, critical thinking and adaptability.
Q. What do you hope your patients would say/would remember about the care you provided to them?
A. That the care they experienced was comforting, beneficial and helped them when they needed it the most.
Q. What have you learned during your time as a perioperative nurse?
A. To take nothing for granted and to always expect the unexpected.
Maddie Murtagh – Registered Nurse for 2 years
Q. What do you love most about your role as a perioperative nurse?
A. The team environment.
Q. What’s special about perioperative nurses?
A. We’re able to engage with different healthcare professionals as opposed to just working on the ward. Higher acuity nursing and upskilling opportunities. I love working and experiencing the different areas of PACU (including main theatres and day surgery).
Q. What do you hope your patients would say/would remember about the care you provided to them?
A. That their needs, care and treatment were met to Calvary’s values and standards. That we provide them with a safe and comfortable environment to heal and recover.
Q. What have you learned during your time as a perioperative nurse?
A. That patience is key, and nursing is simply not just nursing. It encompasses many hats in every setting.