Innovators: Emergency department nursing unit manager Katrina Smith and clinical superintendent Nitin Jain with their smart phones. Picture: Luke Fuda
THE Liverpool Hospital emergency department has been named the best in Australasia by the Australian College of Emergency Nursing.
The department received the award in recognition of a range of initiatives it implemented to enhance patient care and clinical outcomes, as well as management, professional development of staff and research.
Liverpool Hospital general manager Anthony Schembri said the award was a great honour for the hospital and the staff.
"Liverpool Hospital has one of the busiest emergency departments in the state, with around 65,000 patients presenting each year," he said.
"Our emergency department staff continually seek out innovations to apply to their everyday practice."
He said one innovation his staff had already implemented was the use of a new smart phone application to improve the recognition and management of sepsis or blood poisoning.
"The smart phones provide staff with easy access to medical information to help diagnose, treat and refer patients quicker," Mr Schembri said.
It also pioneered the use of a sepsis trolley to cut the time it takes to give patients antibiotics.