How do I become a surgical nurse
Get qualified to work as a surgical nurse with a course recognised across Australia. Speak to a training provider to learn more.
Related career opportunities
Browse occupations related to Surgical Nurse.
Common questions
The average salary for registered Surgical Nurses is $1,600 per week ($83,200 per annum). Increase your earning capacity by undertaking post-graduate qualifications in clinical nursing, perianaesthesia nursing, and critical care nursing.
Courses.com.au Team
There are 19,100 Surgical Nurses currently working in Australia. They are employed by hospitals and specialist medical centres that provide surgical procedures.
Courses.com.au Team
To become a Surgical Nurse you must complete a Bachelor of Nursing, then apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Once you are a qualified Registered Nurse (RN) you should complete a post-graduate qualification in surgical nursing such as the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Surgical) or Graduate Diploma of Perioperative Nursing.
Source: Australian Government Labour Market Insights 2023
Courses.com.au Team
Further reading
Why is Nursing a Good Career Choice in Australia?
25th November 2022
Career Pathways for Graduates After Studying a Diploma of Nursing and a Bachelor of Nursing
4th October 2024Surgical Nurse careers
Surgical Nurses are qualified RNs who have undertaken specialist training. They provide nursing support and care to surgery patients before, during, and after their procedure. In Australia, Surgical Nurses are sometimes known as perioperative nurses.
As a Surgical Nurse you could be explaining the fasting requirements to a patient, preparing the operating theatre before surgery, marking off a pre-op checklist, handing tools to the surgeon, taking the core vital signs of a patient after surgery, updating the family about the condition of a patient in emergency surgery, or writing up patient notes and recording in the database.
