|
 We encourage
staff to seek balance in their work and home life and offer a flexible,
family friendly and enjoyable workplace at all Southern Health emergency
departments.
Dr Ian Summers
Deputy Director
Casey Hospital Emergency Department
 |
The newest hospital in Victoria, Casey was opened in 2004 and features modern
facilities, state of the art emergency department equipment includes ultrasound
machines, non-invasive ventilators and fibre-optic scopes and staff with a “can do” attitude unfettered by past
traditions.
The 24 hour emergency department recorded 35,000 attendances in 2005
with an admission rate of approximately 20 percent. Staff regularly see 145
patients per day consisting of approximately 40 percent paediatric attendances
and 40 percent young adults.
Casey Hospital currently does not have an Intensive Care Unit or Critical Care
Unit so patients, once stabilised are transferred to Dandenong Hospital or Monash
Medical centre.
The Casey team
The staff take a fresh, co-operative approach to community emergency
medicine, working in a relaxed and supportive environment. There are 10
FACEMS and the Hospital is accredited for training to 6 months. There is
also an active social club involving medical, nursing, allied health,
clerical and support staff. Dr Thomas Chan and Dr Ian Summers head-up
the Casey Emergency Team.
Medical
Casey offers a variety of career choices and employment options. Career
Medical Officers (CMOs) are employed on attractive night and weekend
conditions while others cover teaching afternoons, work occasional
weekends or cover shifts. Full time doctors work 4 shifts a week, while
others do 10-20 hours per week in combination with other employment,
family time and hobbies.
Our staff are involved in
primary and fellowship exam committees; 4.10.70 (research) adjudication,
and fellowship teaching as well as provision of ultrasound courses.
Casey registrars are part of the Southern Health hospitals training
rotation with residents coming to Casey for 6 - 12 months of intensive
emergency paediatric and anaesthetics training.
Shorter shifts can be arranged, and while the roster is prepared several
months ahead, every
 effort is made to accommodate short notice requests
for roster changes.
Registrars enjoy 5 hours of protected teaching time to take full
advantage of dedicated primary and fellowship teaching programs as well
as the exam technique (SAQ) course run at Casey. At least 6 different
consultants take exam training including video-taped SCE/long cases and
bedside short cases. Two staff are involved in the primary exam
committee, and fellowship/ultrasound.
A happy team, a satisfying job and the flexibility to balance work with
the rest of your life is the reason that our retention rate is almost
100 percent.!
Deputy Director: Dr Ian Summers
Ian.summers@southernhealth.org.au
Allied Health
Casey Emergency Department is fortunate to have senior physiotherapists, occupational
therapists and social workers based in the Emergency Department, with additional access to
speech therapy and a nutritionalist. They have an office in the
Emergency Department, and
often see patients referred straight from triage, 7 days a week.
Services include home visits and co-ordinated discharge planning and
review.
There is additional support from psychiatric nurses (24/7) and
registrars who form an important part of the assessment and treatment of
patients with mental health issues.
Nursing
Nursing educators, specialist nurse consultants, allied health staff and
Emergency Department physicians deliver a high quality mix of case
scenarios, simulation, equipment and skills learning.
A postgraduate Emergency Department nurse program provides career
progression and critical care (emergency stream) training and
experience. 2006 saw the Emergency Department’s first crop of critical care postgraduates
earn their credentials. There is a comprehensive orientation and
induction course with a week, 1 on 1 with an educator plus supernumery
time.
ALS/APLS is run at Casey, with 4 instructors in the Emergency Department
and free in-house training in high dependency nursing, ECG training,
computer training and management training is also provided.
Staff also access the world class facilities and instructors at the
Southern Health Simulation and Skills Centre.
Flexible rostering, family-friendly shifts and a caring fun
team...that's nursing at Casey ED.
Contact: Cheryl Lacy (Nurse Unit Manager)
Email:
cheryl.lacy@southernhealth.org.au
|
