About the program

The Trauma Nursing Program enables nursing staff in various nursing disciplines involved in assessment and management of trauma patients to access contemporary trauma nursing knowledge that is specifically Australian in context.

As a nurse caring for patients with trauma, the program provides you with the opportunity to:

1. enhance your understanding of the framework within which trauma is managed;
2. enhance your knowledge of the clinical assessment and management of common trauma presentations;
3. practice under supervision clinical skills related to the management of patients with trauma;
4. participate in discussion forums to promote the application of theoretical knowledge to real trauma case histories.

The program builds upon your knowledge of the pathophysiology, epidemiology and management of common trauma conditions as well as providing you with the opportunity to improve your clinical skills in key trauma related areas. The program:

• is case based, promoting the application of theoretical concepts to real trauma case scenarios.
• integrates an approach to trauma management which spans the ages from childhood to old age.
• uses a range of teaching approaches (lectures, small group work and skills practice).

History

The Trauma Nursing Program has been developed in response to the findings of research and inquiry into trauma care in Victoria. The Consultative Committee on Road Traffic Fatalities (CCRTF), and the Major Trauma Management Study (MTMS) identified management problems leading to potentially preventable deaths from trauma. These problems occurred throughout the whole trauma care spectrum - from injury to discharge including emergency departments, intensive care and wards.

The need for nurse trauma training has been specifically mentioned by two important reviews:

• The Review of Trauma and Emergency Services - Victoria 1999 (ROTES) "..(there is a need for) a state wide introduction of a single, standard training course that is locally accessible for Victorian nurses in trauma care".
• Balanced Management Report to the Victorian State Trauma Committee (2000) that recommended that a "standardised 2-3 day nursing trauma core short course (be) developed for all nurses involved in trauma care in Victoria".

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© Victorian Clinical Nursing Consortium - Updated 1st March 2007
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this website, the contents are subject to review and change from time to time. ACCCN and CENA make no warranties or representations, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of information contained in this material.

Image acknowledgements:
http://www.news.navy.mil 040723-N-8977L-008 Los Angeles, Calif. (July 23, 2004) - Navy Hospital Corpsmen and Medical Officers assess the treatment and prognosis of a patient with a gunshot wound to the head in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the University of Southern California (USC) Medical Center. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Johansen Laurel (RELEASED)
http://www.news.navy.mil 40129-N-8977L-013 San Diego, Calif. (Jan. 29, 2004) – During a mass casualty drill aboard the Military Sealift Command (MSC) hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), a casualty receiving crew treats a patient pretending to suffer from a variety of traumatic injuries. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Johansen Laurel. (RELEASED)