8:30am - Registrations Open
9.00am - Infection Control - Latest Updates
What is new and what is now considered best practice?
An exploration of the nurse’s role and responsibility in the prevention of infection.
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Revision of the infection - transmission model.
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Discussion of the link between constant vigilance, constantly updated knowledge and the application of infection control principles.
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Review of standard precautions, such as hand washing routines.
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Should you report for duty when you have a cold?
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Disposable surgical equipment - which ones and under which circumstances can these items be re-used?
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Some waste management essentials.
10.30am - Morning Tea & Coffee
11.00am - The importance of Maintaining a Clean Environment
Although we all know cleanliness is an important nursing consideration, maintaining high levels of cleanliness is not always easy.
This interesting session reviews a range of considerations, including staff well-being to managing outbreaks of infections. An important session that will clarify vital aspects of infection control.
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Review of staff immunisation - how do you know what childhood exposure to infection YOU have had?
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What infections would prevent you from going to work?
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What is best nursing practice for dealing with an episode of diarrhoea?
11.45am - The War on Multi-resistant Organisms
The evolution of infections continues to challenge all health care workers. Nurses need to be kept up-to-date in regard to current trends and developments in infectious diseases.
This session will look at some of the current causes of concern in regard to infectious diseases.
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What are militant microorganisms?
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Which are the major antibiotic resistant organisms?
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How can they be reduced or extinguished?
12.30pm - Lunch Break and Networking
1.30pm - Caring for a Person’s Skin – How Evidence-Based Skin Care Can Make a Difference
This session emphasises the importance for nurses to apply relevant and up-to-date research findings to enhance skin care and prevent either pressure ulcers or dermatitis associated with incontinence.
2.15pm - Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management
Discussion of pressure ulcers, their prevention, warning signs and management.
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Who is at risk of developing pressure ulcers and why?
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Following in-patient admission, when should the initial assessment occur?
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Summary of nursing assessment and treatment guidelines.
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Understanding the importance of the correct selection of equipment.
3.00pm - Afternoon Tea & Coffee
3.30pm - Pressure Care Documentation
An exploration of some tools, which facilitate evidence-based documentation.
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When does the development of a pressure ulcer become an incident?
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What are the implications of such incidents?
4.15pm - Morbid Obesity and Best Practice Nursing Care
Care of a morbidly obese person is complex. For example, the high potential for skin breakdown and poor wound healing require intelligent, evidence-based, preventative care. As well, there is serious risk of harm to staff in areas relating to mobility.
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Which risk management strategies need to be considered when caring for a person who is obese?
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How to appropriately select equipment to prevent pressure ulcer development in this patient population.
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Bariatrics – definition and an update. What predisposes people to develop obesity?Discussion of the types of available surgical procedures and the health benefits.
5.00pm - Close of Day One of Program
9:00am - Start of Day Two
9.00am - Trends in Litigation in Health Care
This interesting session will look at some of the trends that are occurring in regard to litigation in health care. As law is a dynamic and ever changing construct, it is important that nurses have access to ongoing information about recent cases that have implications for professional practice.
10.30am - Morning Tea & Coffee
11.00am - Incident Reports - What You Need to Know
Update on the legal requirements for writing effective incident reports
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When should an incident be reported and by whom?
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What happens when an incident is reported and how is the data used?
11.45am - The Use of the Internet, Emails Social Media and Mobile Telephones at Work – Legal Implications
This final session will look at some emerging legal issues that are of concern in the workplace regarding the use of electronic media. It is not only incumbent on health care organisations to have clear policies for use of such technologies, but individuals must be on guard as well.
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What types of risk may you be exposing yourself to when you use your mobile telephone at work?
12.30pm - Lunch Break and Browse the Book Display
1.30pm - Smart Pump Technology
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What is a Smart Pump System? Learn about the components of intravenous medication errors and how to reduce risk.
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Overview of other smart pump technologies for reducing the incidence of life-threatening errors.
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Emphasis on risk identification as a foundation for effective and safe pump selection.
2.15pm - Falls Prevention and the Danger of Beds
Recent research shows that 38% of all incidents in Australian hospitals are related to falls. This presentation will provide evidence and guidance with regard to the major issues of entrapment, strangulation and suffocation from the mattress and the bedrails.
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What role do beds play in falls, restraint and even life-threatening entrapment?
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Guidelines for using this equipment safely and correctly.
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Suggestions for the use of equipment for patients who are acutely ill within the community and in private homes.
3.00pm - Afternoon Tea & Coffee
3.30pm - Patient Care Errors and Inconvenient Truths
Australian research shows that 10% of patients admitted to hospitals are being harmed, 7% with fatal outcomes. Most of these incidents are preventable.
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The public has an expectation that health care providers will be honest in their dealings with the public. What are the barriers to truth-telling when adverse events occur?
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The human element in clinical mistakes – how does this knowledge shape risk-reducing policies and procedures?
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When errors are due to a mistake where a nurse is involved, what happens? Is it OK to apologise?
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Practical approaches to the creation of quality improvement policies which are realistic and which genuinely enhance the safety of staff and patients.
This session will include a short DVD entitled: “Things To Know Before You Go Into Hospital”.
4.15pm - Close of Program and Evaluations
Belinda HendersonClinical Nurse Consultant – Infection Management Services at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and her qualifications include a Master of Advanced Health Practice in Infection Control. Belinda has been working as an Infection Control Specialist Nurse for the past 12 years, and actively leads the PA infection control unit in delivering and co-ordinating the hospital’s infection control program.
Tracy NowickiTracy is employed as a Clinical Nurse Consultant in the Principle Items Equipment Service in a major, acute care, teaching hospital in Brisbane. Over the years, Tracy has acquired extensive clinical expertise and management knowledge while working across a number of clinical specialties. A significant focus of her current role is to bring innovation to the development of a central equipment service of a large, teaching hospital so as to ensure optimal patient outcomes. 'She believes in fun through learning and looking at new horizons of how we do business.. '
Anne GarrahyLLB, Grad.Dip.LP, RN, Bachelor of Applied Science (Nursing), Grad.Dip,(Nursing Education). Anne has a special interest in nursing/health law, and has previously worked as a Legal Officer with the Queensland Nurses Union. Her background as a registered nurse includes lengthy experience in clinical, management and education roles. As well, she has worked as a solicitor.
