Learning first-hand the trauma of a trip to emergency department

Students from Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College Berkeley Vale Campus recently experienced first-hand the journey of a patient rushed to hospital for life-saving treatment.

While an actor played the patient and the blood was fake, students observed real doctors and nurses in action as they simulated what happens when a trauma patient arrived at Gosford Hospital’s emergency department.

The students heard directly from trauma specialists, emergency department and intensive care doctors and nurses, allied health staff, police liaison officers, paramedics, an organ donation specialist and a person with a lived experience of a traumatic accident.

The Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma (P.A.R.T.Y.) program was developed to educate young people about the dangers of risk-taking behaviours before they are injured.

Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) Trauma Clinical Nurse Consultant Peter Mackay said the local emergency departments often cared for young people who were suffering the consequences of risky behaviour such as driving too fast or taking drugs or alcohol.

“We don’t want to stop young people from having fun, but we also want to give them a different perspective to help them appreciate that a rash decision can have life-changing consequences,” Mackay said.

“We understand they’re only young once, but we want them to think twice.”

CCLHD Trauma Director Dr Nicol Alley said the goal of the program was to empower students to identify situations which could lead to an injury.

“By giving students this experience, we hope they will be motivated to make safer choices and adopt behaviours that minimise risk to themselves and others,” Nicol said.

The P.A.R.T.Y. program is free and is aimed at students in years 10, 11 and 12.

The one-day program runs once per semester with about 25 students in attendance.

It has resumed after being paused due to COVID-19 and is extremely popular with local schools already expressing an interest in participating in next year’s program.

Central Coast Local Health District’s Trauma Service has been running the P.A.R.T.Y. Program in conjunction with Royal North Shore Hospital since 2016.