Specialists from the Royal Hobart Hospital and Tasmanian Health Service’s southern region will this week host 30 medical and nursing staff and rural general practitioners as part of a program to upskill more Tasmanian health staff and improve emergency care in rural and regional areas.
A two-day emergency skills workshop will be held as part of the Emergency Medicine Education and Training (EMET) program, which is delivered by staff from Tasmanian hospital Emergency Departments.
The medical staff, nursing staff and rural GPs from across the State will attend the workshop, which will include simulations, high risk and low acuity procedures, and practical skills, focusing on rural and remote cases and scenarios.
Secretary of the Department of Health, Kathrine Morgan-Wicks, said the workshops were focused on expanding skill sets of Tasmanian health care staff and improving patient outcomes.
“This important initiative aims to improve emergency care in rural and regional areas,’’ Ms Morgan-Wicks said.
“This workshop will cover specialised training and provide a practical multi-disciplinary environment for professional development, upskilling, initial and acute management of a range of health conditions, preparation for medical retrieval, and hospital avoidance.”
Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency Department Staff Specialist and Southern Tasmanian lead for EMET, Dr Juan Carlos Ascencio-Lane, said training more staff across the State in emergency skills was of great importance.
“It is all practical over the two days with the use of a range of training tools, along with equipment from the Emergency Department and considering what participants are likely to have available to them in their places of practice. Medical and nursing staff and rural GPs are involved in designing the training course and identifying the areas of focus,” Dr Ascencio-Lane said.
“Participants attending the workshop are from Emergency Departments and rural and remote practices across Tasmania, including the Furneaux Islands.”