From saving babies’ lives thanks to resuscitation training and new video equipment, and increasing patient care and outcomes by using specialised ultrasounds, to upskilling nursing staff in response to a surge in eating disorders, funding will support critically ill children and young people of all ages across the Barwon area.

Purchasing a video laryngoscope

Purchasing a video laryngoscope for the neonatal unit at Southwest Healthcare will allow trainees and junior consultants to improve their skills in intubating premature babies, by allowing other clinicians to watch the procedure via video and provide guidance in real-time. 

Support for eating disorders

Responding to a surge in eating disorders and mental health admissions, which has continued since COVID-19, training will further develop the skills of paediatric nursing staff at Barwon Health and Southwest, ranging from short courses to a graduate certificate in mental health. 

Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) training 

In addition to enabling a broad range of treatments, such as performing lumbar punctures, and checking for collapsed lungs, research shows that POCUS improves patient care by accelerating clinical diagnoses, improving procedural success, and making invasive procedures less painful. With new funding, Barwon Health staff can access the RCH’s POCUS education package, and purchase simulation practice equipment, thereby increasing local skills, and further benefiting the region’s paediatric patients. 

Resuscitation training

Enhancing resuscitation training for neonatal care staff across the region, Barwon Health will purchase training manikins, and procure licenses to deliver the NeoResus training program, which has standardised the teaching of newborn resuscitation in Victoria. NeoResus training will be delivered to staff in Geelong and Warrnambool, who will then deliver the training within their own health service, as well as to smaller services nearby.