Country nurse educator shares her expertise in national resource

WA Country Health Service’s South West Regional Nurse Educator Brooke Neal was recently acknowledged by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care for her expert contributions to the Emergency Triage Education Kit (ETEK).

The ETEK is an Australia-wide teaching resource designed to help nurse educators promote the consistent application of the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS) in hospital Emergency Departments (ED).

Ms Neal was asked to provide her expertise on a review of the ETEK, including Triage Role and ATS, Triage Fundamentals, Communication, Decision Making and Older People.

Along with her feedback, Ms Neal’s personal experiences and insights are being used to assist beginner triage nurses with good decision making in a fast-paced ED environment.

Ms Neal said having a country nurse perspective in decision making is crucial, as they have a key role in leading positive change in the healthcare system.

“I feel it is important that country nurses’ experiences are brought to the table as they provide a different point-of-view from those of their urban counterparts,” she said.

“Country nurses can advocate for policies and resources that address the challenges we face in rural healthcare which lead to better, more tailored solutions for our communities.”

Ms Neal said she was humbled by the request to be involved.

“I feel very privileged to have been asked to be a part of this review and after over 20 years in the nursing profession it is humbling to be included in projects like this,” she said.

More information on the Emergency Triage Education Kit here: bit.ly/46xlMkm