Recovery (PACU), Day Surgery and Pre-Admission Nurses – Talent Pool

Appointment Type: Registered Nurse opportunities on a full-time, part-time and casual basis across Recovery/PACU, the Pre-Admission Clinic, Day Surgery and Endoscopy.
Salary Package: Base salary from $82,666 – $110,115 per annum (Registered Nurse Year 2–8, pay grade based on relevant experience), plus 12% superannuation and access to salary packaging via Maxxia to maximise your take-home pay.
The Role: Prepare patients for surgery and safely guide their recovery and discharge, working alongside anaesthetists, surgeons, proceduralists, nursing colleagues and students.
Work-Life Balance: Largely weekday rosters with limited or no night shift, and flexible full-time, part-time and casual arrangements to suit your life outside of work.
Grow With Us: Build broad perioperative experience in a teaching environment where healthcare, education and research are delivered together in one integrated precinct.
Drive innovation in healthcare, transform patient outcomes, and advance your career today.
At Macquarie University Health, we are always looking for experienced nurses to contribute to our high-performing perioperative teams at Macquarie University Hospital, Wallumattagal Campus, North Ryde. We maintain an ongoing talent pool for current and upcoming opportunities in Recovery/Post-Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU), the Pre-Admission Clinic, Day Surgery and Endoscopy, the areas that prepare patients for surgery and safely guide their recovery and discharge. These roles are largely rostered across weekdays, with limited or no night shift, which many experienced nurses find valuable when balancing caregiving responsibilities, returning from parental leave, or stepping away from rotating rosters without leaving acute practice.
About the Role
Working across the ambulatory stages of the surgical journey, you will complete pre-operative assessment and patient education, provide immediate post-anaesthetic care, and contribute to discharge decision-making for short-stay episodes, in a precinct where clinical care, teaching and research operate side by side.
Our teams support specialty lists across neurosurgery and spine, orthopaedics, cardiothoracic and interventional cardiology, general and bariatric surgery, colorectal, urology and robotic surgery, ear, nose and throat including cochlear implants, ophthalmology, breast and endocrine, gynaecology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, vascular surgery, interventional radiology and endoscopy, so you will build broad experience alongside clinicians, researchers and students in an academic health precinct.
Depending on your experience and the area you are appointed to, your key areas of responsibility may include:
Delivering immediate post-anaesthetic nursing care in Recovery/PACU, including airway management, haemodynamic monitoring, pain and nausea management, and escalation of deteriorating patients.
Completing pre-admission assessment, risk screening, investigation review and patient education, and liaising with anaesthetists, surgeons, proceduralists and allied health to optimise patients for surgery.
Providing admission, peri-procedural and post-procedural care in Day Surgery and Endoscopy, including sedation recovery and clinical handover.
Contributing to discharge decision-making for short-stay episodes, including discharge criteria assessment, wound and medication education, carer instructions and follow-up arrangements.
Applying patient safety standards including surgical safety checklists, infection prevention, clinical documentation in the electronic medical record, medication safety and incident reporting.
Supporting students, new staff and colleagues in a teaching environment, and participating in quality improvement, audit and professional development activities.
Opportunities arise at Registered Nurse level, and from time to time at senior and specialist levels. You are welcome to register your interest through this talent pool regardless of level. Please tell us the level and area you are seeking in your cover letter.
Roster Information
Recovery/PACU, Pre-Admission, Day Surgery and Endoscopy operate predominantly across weekdays, with limited or no night shift. Some roles include late lists, extended shifts and, where applicable to the area, weekend or on-call arrangements. We support a range of full-time, part-time and casual arrangements, and specific shift patterns, hours and line allocations will be confirmed for each opportunity.
About Us
Macquarie University Health brings together clinical care, education and research in Australia's first fully integrated academic health precinct located on a university campus. Our hospital and clinics sit alongside the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, enabling clinicians, researchers, students and staff to work together to improve patient outcomes. Our mission is simple and enduring: Heal. Learn. Discover.™ Our commitment to compassionate, coordinated and evidence-based care continues to guide everything we do.
About You
You are a clinically skilled Registered Nurse with recent acute care experience, a strong patient focus and genuine enthusiasm for working as part of a multidisciplinary team. You bring sound clinical judgement, excellent communication and patient education skills, and a commitment to continuing your professional development within perioperative practice.
Selection Criteria
Current registration as a Registered Nurse (Division 1) with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, with no restrictions on practice.
Demonstrated experience in Recovery/PACU, pre-admission, day surgery, endoscopy or a comparable acute care setting, with transferable post-anaesthetic or peri-procedural skills.
Sound post-anaesthetic and peri-procedural knowledge, including airway and haemodynamic assessment, pain and nausea management, sedation recovery, infection prevention and recognition of the deteriorating patient.
Current advanced life support certification, or willingness to obtain, along with effective clinical assessment, prioritisation and escalation skills.
Strong communication, education and health literacy skills, with the ability to prepare patients and carers for surgery, recovery and discharge.
Commitment to continuing professional development, quality improvement and supporting the learning of students and colleagues; postgraduate qualifications in perioperative, post-anaesthetic or critical care nursing are highly regarded.
How to Apply
To be considered, please apply online with your CV and a cover letter outlining how your experience aligns with the selection criteria (above), the areas you are interested in, and your preferred work arrangement (full-time, part-time or casual).
By registering your interest, you are letting us know you would like to be considered for future opportunities. There is no specific vacancy attached to this advertisement. Our Perioperative Services and Talent Acquisition teams will review your details and contact you when a suitable role becomes available.
Applications Close: Sunday, 22nd November 2026, 11:59pm AEDT
For enquiries, or a confidential conversation about these opportunities, please contact Rebecca Wood, Talent Acquisition Consultant at r.wood@mq.edu.au or Bill Egarchos, Talent Acquisition Consultant at bill.egarchos@mq.edu.au.
**Please note that interviews may commence prior to the closing date.**
**We reserve the right to progress or not proceed with applications prior to the closing date, and to close the advertisement early if required.**
**Please note this position is only open to Australian citizens, permanent residents and those currently residing in Australia with full working rights.**
Pre-Employment Checks
Macquarie University Health cultivates a workplace defined by safety, ethical conduct, and strong integrity. Prior to completion of an offer of employment, preferred candidates will be required to participate in a combination of pre-employment checks relevant to the role they have applied for.
Your employment is conditional upon the completion and maintenance of all role-required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to Macquarie University Health.
If you're already part of the Macquarie Group (MQ University, U@MQ, MQ Health, MGSM), you'll need to apply through your employee Workday account. To apply for this job: Login to Workday and go to the Careers App > Find Jobs.
Applications Close:
22/11/2026 11:59 PM
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