Message from the Executive Director

It has been another short week and our three facilities continue to be extremely busy. Thank you for doing such a great job again this week!

Administrative Professionals Day

Today is Administrative Professionals Day. Here are some of the wonderful team at Caboolture Hospital.

Today is a great opportunity to recognise the support of our administrative staff, who have such an important role to ensure we can continue to deliver high-quality patient and family centred care at CKW.

I know there are several local events planned today to celebrate this important annual event. Please enjoy yourselves and thanks for all that you do for colleagues, patients, visitors and the community.

Nursing and Midwifery Week activities

Yesterday was International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day is on Thursday (12 May). A very big thank you to all CKW nurses and midwifes who do such a great job!

On Wednesday (11 May), Caboolture Hospital will host a wonderful celebration of our nurses and midwives with several special events planned throughout the day.

The fun activities will start at 8am with Metro North Health Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alanna Geary to walk eight hours on a treadmill to raise for nursing and midwifery research and education. She will be set up in the main corridor (near the central courtyard).

This will be followed by announcing winners in the CKW nursing and midwifery awards. We can’t come together for an event while on Tier 3, so we’ll do it via email instead. Winners and highly commended will be invited individually to accept their prize and pose for a photo.

We’re also inviting our new nursing graduates to get their certificate and a photo on Wednesday.

This will be followed by an All Staff Barbecue in the Wellness Centre from 11.30am to 1pm in the Staff Wellness Centre.  Please come and enjoy a free lunch, also sponsored by QSuper.

We have several other surprises in store as well. It’s all shaping up to be a wonderful celebration for our nursing and midwifery staff.

I will be at Kilcoy Hospital on Wednesday (11 May) for a Values In Action Staff Expo at Kilcoy Hospital. I’m looking forward to helping Kilcoy and Woodford staff learn more about Metro North staff support services available.

Metro North COVID-19 recovery planning staff visiting Caboolture Hospital

We need your feedback to clearly understand how you think we managed COVID-19 over the past 24 months and what we can do going forward to support our new way of working and wellbeing.

The COVID-19 staff debrief survey is a short questionnaire that asks for your reflections, feedback, and ideas about what we have learnt from the pandemic.

The survey only takes about four minutes and your input will play a critical part in the development of our Transition to Recovery Plan.

This work is being led by the Metro North Health EOC Recovery Planning Team, who will be on-site at Caboolture Hospital on Thursday (12 May) between 9 and 4pm. They will be based at the EOC but happy to come out to areas, as requested.

This will be a great opportunity to provide your feedback on the COVID-19 response and recovery plan directly to Georgina and Amarney. Check the Staff Bulletin next week for further details.

When and where to have your flu vaccination

Caboolture Hospital flu vaccinations (Queensland Health staff only) are now available Tuesdays and Thursdays only from the Infection Control office, which is in the main building (ground level).

Vaccinations will be given from 8am-10am, 11am-1pm and 2pm-3.30pm. No appointment necessary but please take your Medicare card and staff ID.

Try to wear a short-sleeved shirt, make sure you have had something to eat and drink recently and feeling well. For more information, phone Ext 8869.

High-level PPE still required

A reminder that Metro North Health continues to be on a high-level PPE setting, which includes a correctly fitted N95 mask and goggles in most settings.

Please use both elastics on the N95 mask and ensure a tight seal. Avoid having the second elastic across the nose bridge of the mask. I know it can be uncomfortable at times but important to keep everyone safe.

A flat surgical mask must not be worn in areas where staff may mix with patients and visitors, which includes the canteen and similar non-clinical areas.

Flat surgical masks can be worn in non-clinical office areas where patients and visitors do not enter.

The PPE level in Queensland hospitals is set independently by the Chief Health Officer based on COVID-19 transmission rates in the community. Metro North Health’s tiered response system does not influence PPE requirements.

Thanks for your ongoing support to protect our staff, patients and the community against COVID-19.

Engage with patients during Heart Week

It was great to see so many staff wearing a red t-shirt today for Heart Week! A great show of support.

During Heart Week (2-8 May), Caboolture Hospital Cardiology CNC Michelle Weldon is asking everyone to engage with patients about the importance of heart health and recommending heart health checks for those eligible.

With one Australian suffering from a heart attack or stroke every four minutes, we have the power to impact this statistic by focusing on these simple, routine practices that have a measurable lifesaving impact. Great work, Michelle!

What a compliment!

Here’s a recent review received through PREMS this week for the Caboolture Hospital ICU team:

“When in ICU, staff were attentive and caring to me and their colleagues.

“One senior RN was training another nurse. I couldn’t fault the way she spoke to this young nurse.

“She was so professional and informative when all around her people were in her complete care at the same time.”

Finally,

Happy Mother’s Day on Sunday.

The role of ‘mother’ comes in so many different forms, so I hope all of you who are ‘mum’ in all its different ways have a wonderful day and enjoy being recognised and celebrated!

With our daughter starting school this year, I’m looking forward to a lovingly made, creative pressie that I will no doubt keep until she’s 21!

Take Care,

Angie.