Honourable mention for Doffitha puts country perioperative nursing care front and centre
Congratulations Perioperative Clinical Nurse Manager Doffitha Mathew, who has received an honourable mention in the poster category at the Australian College of Perioperative Nurses (ACORN) 2026 International Conference, held 14 – 16 May 2026 in Brisbane.
Her paper, authored with support from Dr Wanjiku Gatonga and Dr Elizabeth Elder, ‘Understanding Perceptions, Experiences and Support Systems of Perioperative Nurses in Regional, Rural and Remote Hospitals: A Scoping Review’ discusses the unique challenges faced by nurses working outside the metropolitan area.
With a focus on the resilience and adaptability of rural healthcare professionals, the paper also highlights the importance of tailored support systems. Importantly, her paper not only identified gaps, but addresses how these gaps can be meaningfully improved.
Coordinator of Nursing Perioperative Nathalie Pass said the recognition underscored the relevance and impact of Doffitha’s findings on workforce sustainability and patient care in regional settings.
Doffitha’s paper has reviewed what perioperative nurses in regional, rural and remote hospitals are experiencing as they continue to ensure high quality perioperative patient care. This coincided with the conference’s theme, ‘Building bridges: Strengthening Collaborative Perioperative Care’ where innovative practice, research, education, policy and leadership in perioperative care were showcased.
“The ACORN Conference is an international gathering that brings together perioperative nurses, leaders, educators, researchers and industry partners from across the globe,” Nathalie said.
“To be acknowledged at such a prestigious event means Doffitha is amplifying rural nursing voices in the perioperative space and ultimately contributing to advancing perioperative practice across rural and remote health services.”