Claire Wiseman qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1989 and has worked in perioperative nursing for more than 30 years. She entered the operating room in 1991 and became New Zealand’s first Perioperative Nurse Surgical Assistant (PNSA) in 2001. For the past 20 years, she has specialised in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB), Vascular, Head and Neck, Gynaecology, and Plastic Surgery, supporting complex surgical care across multiple specialties.

Since 2010, Claire has taught Surgical Assistant Workshops, helping develop and mentor perioperative nurses in the role of Surgical Assistant. She currently works at Allevia Hospital as a Registered Nurse First Surgical Assistant (RNFSA), assists surgeons in the private sector, and is a member of the Liver Transplant Team at Auckland City Hospital.