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Registered Nurses (Perioperative)

ANZSCO ID 254423

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
19,100
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
52%
Female Share
91%
Average age
43
About this data

Summary

Registered Nurses (Perioperative) provide nursing care to patients before, during and immediately after surgery, assess patients' condition, plan nursing care for surgical intervention, maintain a safe and comfortable environment, assist Surgeons and Anaesthetists during surgery, and monitor patients' recovery from anaesthetic, prior to return to, or discharge from, ward.

Specialisations: Registered Nurse (Anaesthetic), Registered Nurse (Operating Room), Registered Nurse (Recovery).

A bachelor degree in nursing and specialist experience is usually needed to work as a Registered Nurse (Perioperative).

Tasks

  • Assesses, plans, implements and evaluates nursing care for patients according to accepted nursing practice and standards.

  • Works in consultation with other health professionals and members of health teams, and co-ordinating the care of patients.

  • Provides interventions, treatments and therapies such as medications, and monitors responses to treatment and care plans.

  • Promotes health and assists in preventing ill health by participating in health education and other health promotion activities.

  • Answers questions and providing information to patients and families about treatment and care.

  • Supervises and co-ordinates the work of enrolled nurses and other health care workers.

Characteristics

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Registered Nurses, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 52% of people employed as Registered Nurses (Perioperative) work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 14 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 41 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Health Care and Social Assistance
97.2%
2
Public Administration and Safety
1.0%
3
Administrative and Support Services
0.5%
4
Other Services
0.4%
5
Other industries
0.7%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

29.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

24.8% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

22.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

8.2% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.1% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.6% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.6% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Registered Nurses (Perioperative) All Jobs Average
NSW 29.6 31.6
VIC 24.8 25.6
QLD 22.4 20.0
SA 8.2 7.0
WA 10.1 10.8
TAS 2.6 2.0
NT 0.8 1.0
ACT 1.6 1.9


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
43
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
91%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Registered Nurses (Perioperative) is 43 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 91% of the workforce. This is 43 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Registered Nurses (Perioperative) All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 5.0 9.3
25-34 25.3 22.9
35-44 24.6 22.0
45-54 23.6 21.6
55-59 11.2 9.0
60-64 7.0 6.0
65 and Over 3.3 4.2
Median Age 43 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in nursing and specialist experience is usually needed to work as a Registered Nurse (Perioperative).

Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia is required.

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  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Registered Nurses (Perioperative) All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 15.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 67.8 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 14.9 11.6
Certificate III/IV 1.0 21.1
Year 12 1.1 18.1
Year 11 0.1 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.1 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Registered Nurses who are caring, empathetic, reliable, with strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 61%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 57%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 57%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 57%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 57%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 55%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 55%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 54%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 54%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 52%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 52%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 50%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 48%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 48%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 48%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 46%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 45%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 45%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 43%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 87%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 75%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 74%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 71%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 68%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 67%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 67%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 67%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 62%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 51%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 50%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 50%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 48%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 48%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 45%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 43%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 40%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 39%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 39%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 35%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 71%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 68%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 63%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 59%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 59%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 59%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 57%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 57%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 57%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 54%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 50%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 48%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 48%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 48%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 46%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 46%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 45%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 43%

    Memorization

    Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 98%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 89%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 86%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 82%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 80%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 76%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 76%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 74%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 72%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 72%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 72%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 70%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 70%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 68%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 67%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 66%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 61%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 61%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 60%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 60%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 71%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 62%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 38%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 24%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 19%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 76%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 71%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 57%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 57%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 57%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 100%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 100%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 97%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 97%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 97%

    Disease or infection

    Be exposed to disease or infections.

  • 96%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 95%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 94%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 94%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 92%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 92%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 90%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 90%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 89%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 85%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 85%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 85%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 83%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 81%

    Radiation

    Be exposed to radiation.

  • 81%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 29-1151.00 - Nurse Anesthetists.

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