We specialise in connecting healthcare professionals with opportunities that genuinely align with their career goals, leadership aspirations, and preferred working environment.
We take a consultative, long-term approach—understanding what matters most to you, whether that is career progression, meaningful leadership, a supportive culture, or the chance to work within a high-performing clinical environment.
With strong relationships across New Zealand’s healthcare sector, we are proud to partner with organisations committed to delivering exceptional patient care and sustainable workplace culture.
The Opportunity
We are excited to present an opportunity for an experienced perioperative nurse leader to step into a Team Leader – Day Surgery position with one of our fantastic Partners in Dunedin.
This is an outstanding opportunity to take on a key leadership role overseeing the coordination of a busy and well-supported Day Surgery Unit, with responsibility across:
- Theatre
- PACU
- CSSD
- Admissions
Why This Role Stands Out
This is not a purely administrative leadership role.
You will be a visible clinical leader who plays a central part in the day-to-day coordination of patient flow across the surgical journey—from admission through to discharge.
In this role you will:
- Coordinate daily patient flow across Admissions, Theatre, PACU and Discharge
- Support safe and efficient theatre list management
- Provide real-time escalation support during changing clinical demands
- Lead staff allocation and workflow across perioperative areas
- Provide break cover and hands-on clinical support when required
- Contribute to quality improvement, accreditation readiness, and clinical safety initiatives
With the Team Leader role , you will provide leadership across the perioperative service while working closely with the Practice Manager, clinicians, anaesthetists, nursing teams and administration staff.
Key areas of responsibility include:
Clinical Coordination
- Overseeing daily patient flow across the Day Surgery Unit
- Responding proactively to delays, workload peaks and unexpected clinical events
- Supporting escalation management and early identification of clinical risk
- Providing strong professional leadership and role modelling across perioperative services
- Supporting staff wellbeing, cohesion, engagement and retention
- Maintaining strong multidisciplinary communication across the wider service
- Supporting efficient operating list flow and turnaround
- Ensuring staffing allocation aligns with safe staffing standards
- Supporting pre-operative screening and patient suitability processes
- Supporting sterilisation standards, equipment tracking and documentation
- Contributing to internal audits, accreditation readiness and quality improvement initiatives
- Maintaining compliance with perioperative safety and clinical practice standards
- Coordinating staffing rosters, leave cover and workforce allocation
- Supporting appropriate skill mix and sustainable staffing coverage
We are keen to connect with experienced perioperative nurses who are ready to step into a meaningful leadership role.
You will ideally bring:
- Current registration as a Registered Nurse with a valid APC
- Minimum five years’ perioperative nursing experience
- Strong scrub/circulating competency (Highly desirable )
- Proven ability to lead, mentor and coordinate within a fast-paced clinical environment
- Strong understanding of perioperative standards, clinical safety and patient flow
- A collaborative leadership style and commitment to high-quality patient care
Why Consider Dunedin?
Located in the lower South Island, Dunedin offers a lifestyle that combines professional opportunity with genuine balance.
You will enjoy:
- A strong healthcare community
- Affordable living compared with larger centres
- Beautiful coastline, outdoor lifestyle and easy access to Central Otago
- A welcoming city with excellent schools, culture and community connection
What’s On Offer
- A genuine clinical leadership position
- Diverse and varied perioperative oversight
- Strong multidisciplinary support
- A respected private healthcare environment
- Opportunity to influence quality, systems and service delivery
- Long-term career growth within a progressive organisation
We offer a $500 referral bonus if your referral is successful.
Get in Touch For a confidential discussion, contact:
Lewis Howells
E: lewish@rwrhealth.co.nz
M: +64 225 887 252
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