Newborn life support skills training workshop at Macksville

Aug 27, 2024

The Coffs Harbour Clinical Network recently hosted an emergency skills workshop for rural clinical staff across multiple disciplines, as part of the Emergency Medicine Education and Training (EMET) program.

The four-hour workshop aimed to upskill nursing, midwifery, and medical staff and provided a practical day of training by Coffs Harbour Health Campus Emergency Department staff.

Thirty-two staff including midwives, emergency department nurses, rural GPs and emergency department medical staff from across the district attended, focusing on newborn resuscitation, airway management in neonates, umbilical vein catheterisation, and the management of critically unwell newborns.

Macksville Emergency Department Director Doctor Karly Field said the day was very hands on.

“The workshop aims to improve emergency care in rural and regional areas to some of our most vulnerable patients,” Dr Field said.

“It’s all practical skills training, with the use of a range of training tools along with equipment from the Emergency Department and Maternity Unit in Macksville District Hospital. Staff members are involved in designing the training course and identifying the areas of focus.”

Participants were taught to follow Australian Resuscitation Council Guidelines in the management of these low-frequency, high-acuity cases.

It’s the fifth time it has been held at Macksville District Hospital with numbers of attendees continuing to grow each year.

Rural Generalist Genevieve Postlewait found the training immensely valuable.

“This is one of the only training opportunities I have on a local level, so it is so wonderful that I can come to my workplace and have training tailored to our specific environment, our resources and our staff.

“Other training that I may seek would usually be in a metropolitan centre and often generalised to other hospital resources, but this training is specific to our local health district.” Dr Postlewait said.