The Enrolled Nurse in Theatre: Role, Scope and Pay Explained

Oct 6

4 min read

An enrolled nurse in theatre can work as a scrub scout nurse, an anaesthetic nurse or a recovery nurse, provided the right qualifications and supervision are in place.

It is one of the most misunderstood roles in perioperative nursing. Some theatre teams rely on enrolled nurses every day. Others rarely employ them.

This Theatre Careers Bulletin sets out what the published standards say, what the award pays, and what the enrolled nurse roles we are recruiting for right now look like.

What an enrolled nurse is

An enrolled nurse (EN) holds a Diploma of Nursing, a qualification of at least 18 months from the vocational education sector, and is registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

The Australian Government's National Nursing Workforce Strategy describes the model plainly. The EN works under the direct or indirect supervision of a registered nurse (RN). At all times, the EN retains responsibility for their own actions and remains accountable for the delegated care they provide.

In theatre, that supervision is part of how the team is built. Both direct and indirect supervision are recognised, so the arrangement varies by task and by employer.

Which theatre roles an enrolled nurse can fill

ACORN, the Australian College of Perioperative Nurses, lists the perioperative roles open to enrolled nurses and the conditions attached to each.

Instrument (scrub) nurse: a Diploma of Nursing that includes medication administration.
Circulating (scout) nurse: a Diploma of Nursing that includes medication administration.
Anaesthesia nurse: the EN needs to be able to administer medicines, and is supervised by a suitably qualified and experienced anaesthesia nurse.
PACU nurse: the EN needs to be able to administer medicines, with supervision for medication administration in line with the NMBA Enrolled nurse standards for practice.
Pre-admission and day surgery nurse: a Diploma of Nursing that includes medication administration.

In Australia and New Zealand, the scrub scout nurse is one role covering both instrument and circulating work. An EN working as a scrub scout nurse rotates through the same work as RN colleagues, within their own scope of practice and the employer's policies.

The medication notation matters

The detail that most often decides whether an EN can take a particular theatre role is medication administration.

ACORN notes that ENs can administer medicines unless their registration carries the notation "Does not hold Board-approved qualification in administration of medicines".

ACORN lists the ability to administer medicines as a need for anaesthesia and PACU roles. If your registration carries that notation, those roles are not open to you while it stands. Check your entry on the public register before you apply, so you know where you stand.

What the award pays

Many theatre nurses in private hospitals are paid under an enterprise agreement, which sits above the award minimum. The Nurses Award 2020 is still the floor, and it shows how the EN and RN scales relate.

The Fair Work Ombudsman's current Nurses Award 2020 pay guide sets these full-time minimum rates:

Enrolled nurse, pay point 1: $1,139.90 a week ($30.00 an hour)
Enrolled nurse, pay point 5: $1,199.20 a week ($31.56 an hour)
Registered nurse level 1, pay point 1: $1,219.50 a week ($32.09 an hour)
Registered nurse level 1, pay point 8 and thereafter: $1,465.50 a week ($38.57 an hour)

Across a year, the top EN pay point works out at $1,199.20 × 52 = $62,358.40. The first RN pay point works out at $1,219.50 × 52 = $63,414.

The EN scale is short, with five pay points against eight at RN level 1.

These are minimum base rates before penalties, allowances and superannuation. Our guide to theatre nurse hourly rate or annual salary shows how to compare offers that are quoted differently.

What the live roles look like

Three roles we are recruiting for right now are open to enrolled nurses. Each is advertised for both RN and EN applicants.

Scrub scout nurse, private day surgery, Western Australia, part-time: $45 to $50 an hour advertised, paid under the enterprise agreement, Monday to Friday with no on-call.
Anaesthetic nurse, private day surgery, Western Australia, part-time: $48 to $53 an hour advertised.
Anaesthetic nurse, New South Wales, full-time or part-time, open to registered or endorsed enrolled nurses: $74,000 to $111,000 a year advertised.

Because each range covers both registrations, it does not tell you what an EN would be offered. Where an individual offer lands is set by the employer, usually under its enterprise agreement.

Two of the three roles sit in day surgery, which ACORN lists among the roles open to ENs. Our comparison of day surgery nurse and main theatre roles covers how that setting differs.

Where an EN fits in a theatre team

Two of the three live roles above are in anaesthetics. If that area interests you, our article on the anaesthetic nurse role covers what the job involves day to day, and our piece on the PACU and recovery nurse role covers recovery.

Some ENs go on to study for a Bachelor of Nursing and register as RNs. Universities differ in how much credit they give for a Diploma of Nursing, so it is worth checking with each one directly.

RN registration opens leadership roles that require it, such as the ones described in our article on moving into an ANUM or Clinical Nurse Manager role. Whether to make that move is a personal decision.

Questions worth asking before you apply

Is the role open to enrolled nurses, and which parts of theatre will you cover: scrub scout, anaesthetics or recovery?
Does the role need you to administer medicines, and does your registration allow it?
How is RN supervision arranged on each list?
Which enterprise agreement applies, and which EN pay point would you start on?
What orientation and education are offered for perioperative practice?

You can see the theatre roles we are recruiting for, including those open to enrolled nurses, on our theatre nursing jobs in Australia page.