WORLD’S LARGEST STUDY IN INTRAVENOUS CATHETER SECUREMENT FOR CHILDREN AND CATHETER FAILURE REDUCTION
Brooke Charters, Paediatric Emergency Nurse
Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service
PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE
Filmed in Southport, Queensland | December 2024
Brooke Charters is a dynamic Paediatric Emergency Nurse who works at the Gold Coast University Hospital in Queensland.
After leaving school unsure of her career path, she ventured into disability support, which sparked her interest in nursing. She pursued a Bachelor of Nursing at Southern Cross University, and during her placement in Africa, she discovered her passion for paediatrics instead of mental health nursing.
Since completing her post grad certificate in paediatric acute care and a passion ignited from working frontline in the Paediatric Emergency, Brooke has developed a wide variety of clinical research interests, especially in cannulation, children’s mental health trauma and pain management.
An opportunity arose when she was approached for research ideas related to securing cannulas, a frequent issue in paediatric care.
Brooke was the first nurse to become a Principal Investigator on an Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF) Queensland Research Program grant when it was opened to nurses. Having seen first-hand how one in four cannulas used in treating children were failing
and needed to be reinserted Brooke looked for an opportunity to find a solution.
The study enrolled children aged six months to eight years, aiming to save cannulas and reduce reinsertion trauma. Her study’s findings showed significant improvements in securing cannulas, highlighting a potential solution to a common problem.
Brooke initiated a study with a randomised control trial (RCT) comparing standard care to an integrated dressing with tissue adhesive.
Brooke’s research became the world’s largest study of its kind and in May 2024 the results of the study were published in JAMA Pediatrics. Her mission is to drive change and enhance the hospital experience for children globally.
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Study reveals socioeconomic barriers to children’s healthcare access
Research published in the Australian Journal of General Practice (AJGP) has revealed mental health and developmental–behavioural issues such as ADHD are the most common paediatric referrals in metropolitan general practices.
But the research also revealed children at higher risk are less likely to get the care they may need.
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Shaping Health, Advancing Nursing through training, upskilling & scholarships
The Chief Executive Officer of Australian College of Nursing, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN spoke in depth with Australian Health Journal about:
The key recommendations in ACN’s pre-budget submission to Federal Government
The impact of legislation requiring a Registered Nurse (RN) at every residential aged care facility from 1st July 2023
Why scholarships in nursing leadership are important
Why ACN has recommended the Government fund 200 Pacific nurses in 15 nations for the online ACN postgraduate certification
The need for a multi-pronged approach that includes skilled migration in rebuilding the nursing workforceIn the lead up to the Australian Federal Budget in May 2023, Australian Health Journal reached out to peak health industry bodies to hear about their priorities, either noted in pre-budget submissions lodged with Federal Government in January 2023 or in recent forums such as the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce.
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Implementing improvements in referral management and demand
Nalani Cox joined Gold Coast Health in 2019 as a Nurse Manager focused on improving referral management processes within the outpatient environment through the implementation of the Clinical Prioritisation Criteria. This work became a focus point for the organisation in 2020 when Nalani led an organisational wide change project introducing Smart Referrals, Refer Your Patient website and HealthPathways which has culminated in her position as the ADON of the Referral Strategy and Performance Department.
