Inspired by his father, who had also served as a referee, Nijhuis began refereeing at the age of 15 years. In March 2005 he made his debut in a SC Heerenveen match against RKC Waalwijk in the highest Dutch league, the Eredivisie. He has served as an official in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup in 2007 after being appointed as a FIFA referee. In 2009, Nijhuis was one of six referees at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.