A standard is the quality measure used as the basis for perioperative practice and includes perioperative patient care, administration, documentation, professional development, practice and quality improvement.

These standards should be read in conjunction with:

• AORN Perioperative Standards and Recommended Practices for Inpatient and Ambulatory Settings
• Nursing Council of New Zealand Standards and Guidelines for Nurses (external link)

Recommended practice, examples in practice and reference links are provided to support each standard.

Download the PNC Standards

• Standard 1: Perioperative nurses are responsible and accountable for their practice (PDF, 159KB)
• Standard 2: Perioperative nurses practice evidence based nursing care supported by nursing knowledge and reasoned decision making (PDF, 137KB)
• Standard 3: Perioperative nurses apply the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi within their practice (PDF, 101KB)
• Standard 4: Perioperative nurses enter into and maintain therapeutic and effective communication with clients/patients, families/whanau, colleagues and peers (PDF, 109KB)
• Standard 5: Perioperative nurses collaborate effectively within the Interprofessional team (PDF, 106KB)
• Standard 6: Perioperative nurses practice meets the NCNZ competencies (PDF, 103KB)

AORN Perioperative Standards and Recommended Practices

As part of your Perioperative Nurses College membership you have access to AORN’s Perioperative Standards and Recommended Practices via eSubscription.

Access the standards via the subscription link on the Perioperative Nurses College AORN web page.

• Death in the perioperative setting (PDF, 157KB) April 2021

• Disaster Planning (PDF, 139KB) April 2021

• Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control (PDF, 1.4MB)

• Healthcare Industry Representatives in the Perioperative Setting (PDF, 176KB) April 2021

• Joint Practice Guideline for Sterile Technique during Vascular and Interventional Radiology Procedures (2012, PDF, 215KB)

• NZSSA Guidelines - Loan Instrumentation (January 2010, PDF, 158KB)

• Registered Nurse First Surgical assistant for operating theatres in NZ Service Policy Guidelines (February 2015, PDF, 955KB)

• Safe Staffing (PDF, 296KB) Updated July 2022

• Surgical Safety Checklist (PDF, 549KB) April 2021

• Surgical Site Marking (PDF, 125KB) April 2021

• Workplace and Patient Safety Reference Synopsis (PDF, 242KB)

• Emergency or Code Black Situation (PDF, 134KB) April 2021

• Hazards Guidelines (PDF, 141KB) April 2021