The Mudgee Health Service team is celebrating after the Emergency Department (ED) was crowned the winner of the 2023 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia (CENA) Emergency Department of the Year.
Kylie Strong, Mudgee Health Service Manager, said this is a testament to the incredible team in the ED and the work they continue to do providing safe, high-quality care to the community.
“The team are consistently looking to support and embrace development and implement the most up-to-date, evidence-based practices and models of care to support patients,” Mrs Strong said.
“I would really like to thank the team, and in particular Clinical Nurse Consultant Jess Keady for putting the nomination together. We work hard every day to provide the best care possible for our patients, and it is nice for our team to be recognised for the great work they deliver.”
The Award is designed to recognise ED teams which have made substantial improvements to their service, have endured considerable challenges, implemented innovative solutions to problems and contributed to emergency care as leaders.
Jacqui Blackshaw, Western NSW Local Health District Manager of Training and Education, said the Mudgee team’s win comes after significant work to provide rural nurses with opportunities to upskill.
“In early 2022, the District implemented a new Emergency Nursing Education Framework. It was a significant piece of work designed to standardise education and assessment for Registered Nurses working across our 33 rural EDs,” Ms Blackshaw said.
Melissa McGilvray, Mudgee Nurse ED Unit Manager, said the strategy was immediately established in the ED, with strong results.
“We quickly embraced this strategy and adopted a team approach to ensure our nursing staff were moving through a two-stage framework. As a result, 28 Registered Nurses enrolled in the advanced level of Emergency Nursing Education Framework,” Ms McGilvray said.
“The enthusiasm with which nursing staff embraced opportunities for professional development via the Emergency Nursing Education Framework, and other workforce development programs, has been fantastic.”
Adrian Fahy, WNSWLHD Executive Director Quality, Clinical and Safety, said, it is excellent to see the Mudgee ED to be recognised on a national scale.
“In addition to the commitment to quality and professional development for nurses, Mudgee excels in fostering a supportive and encouraging environment for both patients and staff,” Mr Fahy said.
“This reputation reaches further than the Local Health District, with staff travelling specifically to Mudgee to work casual shifts from other Local Health Districts, that speaks volumes for the team and the environment they are creating.”
