Staff in Bendigo Health's emergency department will soon be able to add another notch to their training belts as they learn new skills and knowledge in how to treat trauma in regional Victoria.
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While COVID-19 put the new training on hold, acting deputy chief medical officer Sanneil Mathias and his team of staff wanted to trial a scenario-based instruction program that would cover a range of areas.
"Something we've been trying to get off the ground for a few years is having a comprehensive training program that is specific to regional medicine," he said.
"It's a pilot program at the moment and we're focusing on ED at this stage, but we're hoping to eventually extend it to the whole hospital."
During the four day sessions set out over four months, the training covers areas such as; reception of the trauma patient in the ED, role allocation and set up, common procedures, shock trauma, neurotrauma, obstetric trauma, burns, paediatric trauma, and simulation-based training.
It has involved a team of doctors and nurses from Bendigo's ED with experience in trauma management and education.
"Since we started in April, we've had our critical care nurses and emergency department registrars in sessions that involve limited lecture time, but that will allow them more time to do more hands-on work," Dr Mathias said.
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"They're able to not only learn more procedural skills through simulations, but also focus on teamwork and the complex nature of teamwork in trauma is very hard to teach unless you're in those situations.
"So having the people that actually work in those trauma settings refine their skills together in a simulated situation really helps."
Dr Mathias said as hospitals like Bendigo see more traumas come through their doors, staff need to feel ready to take on those patients.
"We actually see quite a lot of trauma because we're far enough away from Melbourne that we're usually the first stop, even if it's a very significant trauma," he said.
"They will stay with us until they're stable before going on to one of the larger centres, or they will stay in our care if the trauma isn't as severe."
Dr Mathias said it was important to provide the right care for patients who suffer different traumas to those in metro Melbourne.
"We tend to see more farm or machinery accidents compared to Melbourne for obvious reasons, but distance is also a contributing factor," he said.
"Often we do get patients who have been in a road accident in the Loddon Mallee region for example who may have had to wait a lot longer to receive that care compared to those in Melbourne.
"We are hoping that if this program does go well, we may be able to extend it out to some of the smaller centres in regional Victoria if they have the apatite for it."
Dr Mathias said if the program goes well following an evaluation, staff would hopefully be able to take part in similar training every six months.
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