Victorian Perioperative Nurses Group
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Events
Upcoming
Aug
08
2026 Country Conference - Delegates
Mercure Ballarat - Hotel & Convention Centre
08:00 – 17:00
On behalf of VPNG, you are invited to join the Committee and perioperative nurses from across Victoria for a
day of high-quality professional education, connection and collaboration. The 2026 Country Conference will
feature engaging presentations from the broader perioperative and healthcare community, with a strong focus
on communication, patient safety and interdisciplinary practice.
The program will include evidence-based presentations showcasing contemporary research and quality
improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing perioperative patient outcomes across the entire perioperative
continuum. This exchange of knowledge provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen practice across
metropolitan, rural and regional settings. Importantly, the conference will also provide a platform for innovative
rural and regional projects to be shared with the wider perioperative community, recognising the essential
contribution of country clinicians.
The Country Conference also offers valuable networking opportunities for trade and industry partners to connect with perioperative nurses from across the state, and for clinicians to build professional relationships,
share experiences and strengthen collaboration across diverse practice settings. These connections support
ongoing innovation, education and excellence in perioperative care.
We would be delighted for you to join us for this important professional event and look forward to welcoming
you to Ballarat in 2026.
Aug
26
Webinar - DonateLife - Organ & Tissue Donation
19:00 – 20:15
Webinar Overview
This session will provide an overview of organ and tissue donation. We will explore the donation pathway from referral to retrieval, highlighting key perioperative responsibilities throughout the surgical process.
A case study will be used to demonstrate the complexity of donation cases, including clinical and logistical considerations. Participants will gain practical insights into how perioperative nurses contribute to optimising donation outcomes and supporting the donor and their family’s end‑of‑life wishes.
Monique Drury - Bio
Monique Drury is a Senior Education Coordinator at DonateLife Victoria, a role she has held since 2022. Prior to joining the education team, Monique worked as a Donation Specialist Nurse, facilitating organ and tissue donation cases across Victoria. Monique’s clinical background is in Emergency Nursing, and has over a decade of experience working in health services across multiple states. She is passionate about developing confident, skilled Donation Specialist Nurses and delivering high-quality, state-wide education that promotes best practice in organ and tissue donation. Monique’s work is grounded in clinical expertise, evidence-based practice and a commitment to improving outcomes for donors, families and transplant recipients.
Sep
11
2026 Introduction to Perioperative Nursing Course Epworth Richmond - Sept
Epworth Richmond
11-09-2026 09:00 – 12-09-2026 17:00
CONTINUE TO REGISTER IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN 6 MONTHS EXPERIENCE IN THE PERIOPERATIVE AREA.
This course has been designed to provide exposure to the perioperative environment for Registered and Enrolled Nurses who have limited or no experience and are interested in moving into this specialty area of nursing.
Any questions - please email enquiries@vpng.org.au
The Aims of the Program Include
Provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the Perioperative Nurse
Facilitating the development of a basic understanding of the principles and practice of perioperative nursing
Encouraging participants to further develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of perioperative nursing on completion of the course
Topics Include
Roles of the Perioperative Nurse
Principles of perioperative nursing
Preoperative care of the perioperative patient
Overview of anaesthesia
Perioperative pharmacology
Principles of airway monitoring
Patient assessment and care of the unconscious patient
Pain management
Infection control principles
Legal and safety issues relevant to perioperative nursing
Role of the Perioperative Nurse as patient advocate
Oct
28
Webinar - Solventum - Optimising Surgical Outcomes: Mastering Normothermia Through Effective Heat Transfer
19:00 – 20:15
Webinar Overview
An interactive virtual session focused on preventing perioperative hypothermia through continuous temperature monitoring, pre‑warming strategies, and effective forced‑air warming. Learn how selecting and applying the right technologies in clinical practice can significantly improve patient safety and surgical outcomes.
Katrina Shaw - Bio
Katrina brings over 20 years of experience in nursing, clinical education, and medical device innovation, with a career spanning Solventum, 3M, and Medtronic. Driven by a passion for improving patient outcomes through evidence-based practice, she specialises in thermal management and its impact on anaesthesia and perioperative care.
She has delivered clinical education and presentations throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including engagements in Japan and Korea. Katrina also co-authored the white paper “Reduction of Forced Air Warming System Heat Transfer Rate When a Cotton Sheet is Placed Between the Patient and the Warming System,” presented at WCA 2024, which explores how warming practices influence intraoperative temperature regulation and patient safety.
Past events
Jun
09
Past Event
VPNG Roadshow with President - Royal Childrens Hospital
The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
14:00 – 14:30
FREE EVENT - Come and meet up with Michelle Hibberson, VPNG President, at this informal meet and greet to learn about the benefits of VPNG membership. She will be ready to answer any questions you may have around VPNG and perioperative nursing in general.
Feb
18
Past Event
FREE Webinar - Digital Surgical Preference/s Solution for Paper Based Surgical Cards - MediPref
19:00 – 20:15
Paper-based preference cards are often outdated, difficult to access, misplaced or obsolete.
MediPref provides a simple, easy-to-use digital surgical preferences solution that can improve the workflow of theatre plus anaesthetic nurses, theatre technicians, surgeons and anaesthetists in the perioperative environment.
Designed as the perfect pocket tool, MediPref enhances preparedness and drives perioperative efficiency.
Join our upcoming MediPref webinar for an exclusive walkthrough of the platforms end-to-end functionality and key features and learn how this web app can solve complex perioperative challenges.
For more information:
Visit our website - www.medipref.com
Contact Natalie Hall – (E) natalie@medipref.com OR (M) +61 (0) 494 369 308
Presented By:
Natalie Hall – Registered Nurse with 19 years’ experience spanning clinical care, education and healthcare leadership across Australia and the UK.
Natalie pioneered the development of Australia’s nurse led aural care industry, co-developing training and assessment frameworks across multiple healthcare sectors, scaling the industry and improving patient access. Driven by a commitment to quality and safety, she co-created a quality improvement resource for nurses and technicians working in perioperative environments whilst continuing to work in the acute care sector.
Natalie is an experienced Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Examiner for AHPRA and contributes to the International Qualified Nurse Examination Committee (IQNEC), helping manage risk in the outcomes-based assessment process for internationally qualified nurses seeking registration in Australia.
Driven by a commitment to healthcare excellence, she focusses on enhancing patient outcomes, empowering clinicians and transforming healthcare through practical innovation.
