Theatre nurses are unsung heroes when it comes to complicated births, but staff shortages are leaving nurses overworked and surgeries cancelled.

Midwife, Melissa Stedman, said theatre nurses, also known as perioperative or scrub nurses, were essential players in the delivery of a baby via caesarean or trail of forceps in theatre.

In most cases, two scrub nurses and one perioperative nurse is required to ensure every birth proceeds smoothly and safely.

“They prepare the operating room, sterilize equipment, and assist doctors during delivery by providing necessary tools all while supporting the mother and talking her through the process,” Ms Stedman said.

Alongside their technical skills, theatre nurses maintain a calm environment, respecting the wishes and preferences of each woman, sometimes being able to play soft music or have TV screens play depending on the hospital.

“They monitor the mother’s vital signs closely, offering reassurance and comfort throughout the process.

“After the baby is born, they continue to provide care for the mother documenting all details of the birth.”

Once the caesarean is complete, the theatre nurses will then follow the mother back into recovery until she is safe to go back to the ward.

Ms Stedman said theatre nurse were greatly valued by midwives, because they enable them to focus on supporting the mother, her support person, and ensuring the baby transitions smoothly to the outside world.

While theatre nurses were required for births were surgical intervention is necessary, such as caesarean sections or instrumental deliveries, they were often on call.
“Theatre nurses typically work 10 hour shifts, where some of the afternoon staff will also be on call overnight if they don’t have 24 hour theatres,” said Ms Stedman.

“Shifts for theatre nurses can comprise of many different cases including booked and emergency surgical cases, prioritising what needs to be done first.”

Ms Stedman said theatre nurses “care dearly for all patients and their families”, and worked hard to ensure safe, high quality care was provided to all – but this could take a toll.

“Unfortunately, as I’m sure most people are aware, staffing shortages are a major issue within Australia and the world,” she said.

The shortage is attributed to multiple factors, including the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated existing workforce issues.

According to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), the number of vacant positions has doubled compared to the previous year.

Current predictions indicate that nursing and midwifery staff shortages could reach 85,000 by 2025 and 123,000 by 2030.

While efforts to address these shortages include strategies to enhance retention, improve recruitment, and encourage experienced nurses to return to practice, these solutions require comprehensive policy reforms and collaboration across various sectors.

In the meantime, existing nurses are left to grapple with increased workloads, leading to fatigue and burn out.

“Ensuring they have enough staff to practice safely is critical,” said Ms Stedman.

“This has resulted in a lot of elective or low risk surgeries being cancelled without much notice and long waiting periods.”