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The Prince Charles Hospital has one of the busiest Emergency Departments in Queensland, seeing a wide range of adult and paediatric patients.

Acting Assistant Nursing Director at TPCH ED, Emma, has spent the past few years caring for patients in urgent healthcare situations - both in a traditional ED environment, as well as at our Minor Injury and Illness Clinic at Kallangur Satellite Health Centre.

But how do you know where to go when you need serious health advice? Emma explains the difference in our care options.

"The Minor Injury and Illness Clinics at our Satellite Health Centres are great for people who need urgent, same-day care but it is less serious - things like broken bones and sprains, respiratory and viral illness, and stomach bugs," she says.

"Meanwhile the ED at the hospital is for more serious conditions, like chest pain, severe abdominal pain, chronic illness getting worse and mental health.

"If you have an illness and you are not sure where you should go, call 13 HEALTH, where the team can assess your symptoms and find the best place for your care. It could be our Virtual Emergency Care Service with an ED clinician seeing you over the phone, your GP, the hospital ED, Satellite Health Centre, Nurse-led Walk-in Clinic, or a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic."

There are many options available with your symptoms determining the fastest route of care, but the good news is, we are always here for you. ❤️‍🩹🫶🏥 ...

"I used to go to lots of antique shows with my husband but there`s not many of them around anymore, so we`ve recently moved out to Clontarf, and we love to walk down to the shops and the beach. I was born in Manly, moved up in 1992 for my husband`s job and I always said that when we retire, I want to be near the beach. My grandfather`s brother died at Gallipoli, and he is buried at Lone Pine and then my father-in-law was in the army and went to Singapore where he was taken prisoner by the Japanese for three and a half years. So, because of that, we always observe Remembrance Day but this year we will just have a quiet one at home."

💭 Monday Mantra, Penny, STARS 6B Patient ...

The Prince Charles Hospital is set to get an upgrade, with a new masterplan and consultation open to understand the needs of patients and consumers.

Staff Council Chair, Dr Lucy Dakin, said staff were excited about the expansion plans, set to ensure more space to provide care for an ever-growing northside community.

“Because we are expanding as a community, we are serving more and more patients each year, so we are really excited to get new facilities and a bigger space to provide care,” she said.

“The Prince Charles Hospital has long been known as a leading facility for cardiothoracic services but it is also a general hospital serving a growing community of elderly patients, adults and children.”

The masterplan is set to include more beds, as well as proposed new and expanded facilities for mental health, paediatrics and emergency. 🏥💛 ...

In a busy place like the Intensive Care Unit, learning never stops. Nurse Educators like Amelia ensure the team they have the skills and confidence they need to take on whatever challenges they may face when caring for the most critically unwell patients.

"The amount of knowledge that our nurses need to have to look after patients in ICU is huge and always growing, so my role works to identify opportunities and resources for our nurses to further their development," Amelia said.

"A big part of my role is our transition program into ICU, looking after those who are brand new to ICU, and we also support people to do postgraduate qualifications because study is a huge part of what we do.

"With the ratios being 1:1 or 1:2, which means one nurse to one or two patients, you get to know those patients and their families really well, which is what makes ICU so special."

#ShoutoutSaturday to Amelia in our RBWH ICU, and our ICU teams across Metro North. 👏 ...