Around 60 trauma nursing and allied health professionals from across the country came together for an interactive day in Wellington in November to network, connect and share innovation.
The day was the first combined trauma nursing and allied health day and the inclusion of the wider multidisciplinary team received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Trauma nursing and allied health professionals attending the interactive day in November in Wellington.
The sessions included:
- screening the major trauma population for risk of traumatic brain injury
- sharing service improvement work across regions
- barriers and challenges in working in trauma care
- data collection within trauma services.
Jessica Lockett, quality improvement advisor for Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission (Te Tāhū Hauora), and Kat Quick, clinical lead for the national trauma rehabilitation work programme of Te Tāhū Hauora, discussed the serious traumatic brain injury project completed earlier this year.
Opportunities for improvement across tertiary and regional services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand were also shared.
The day included presentations from esteemed speakers, Nicole Kelly and Kathryn Murrell.
Nicole is Trauma Service Nursing Director for the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Co-Chair of the South Australian Trauma System and State Trauma Committee. She presented on trauma multidisciplinary teamwork and chest injury pathways in South Australian trauma services. Nicole inspired attendees, describing the successful implementation of a 7-day, 0700–2130 trauma nursing service within her organisation.
Kathryn Murrell, clinical neuropsychologist and national psychology advisor at ABI Rehabilitation, spoke on post-traumatic stress disorder for people with traumatic brain injury and the road to recovery. This was a significant presentation given the importance of emotional wellbeing as a crucial factor in the long-term recovery of major trauma survivors.
In the afternoon, Jessica Lockett gave an overview of the trauma quality improvement facilitators course planned for 2024. The course will enable participants to build practical quality improvement skills and knowledge that they can apply to their area of trauma care. The aim of the course is to reduce unwarranted variation in trauma care across Aotearoa New Zealand and improve equity of access to evidence-based treatment.
Attendees were keen to focus future events on:
- improving the consistency of nursing and allied health staff resourcing across the country
- trauma education
- National Clinical Network – Trauma updates
- paediatric and rural trauma care.