| Monash home | About Monash | Faculties | Campuses | Contact Monash |
| Staff directory | A-Z index | Site map |
| Monash home | About Monash | Faculties | Campuses | Contact Monash |
| Staff directory | A-Z index | Site map |
|
|
PENINSULA ONLINE
In this issue |
 |
Paramedic training in Victoria has received a boost with the recent launch of the RACV Trauma Simulation Complex at the Centre for Ambulance and Paramedic Studies. The complex contains a dedicated trauma simulation site with vehicles and high-tech mannequins, which can mimic the physical signs of distress during a road accident. |
Head of Academic Services at the centre, Mr Mark Chilton, said the complex would allow the centre to provide in-depth training to students on site using the sophisticated mannequins in simulated road trauma scenarios. Monash University trains about 200 student paramedics in emergency healthcare every year.
“It is vitally important that paramedic students receive training in situations that are as close to real life as possible,” Mr Chilton said. “This complex will allow students to experience how a road trauma might progress providing skills in dealing with multiple issues.”
The complex will focus on simulated motor vehicle accidents but with the potential to involve other things that might be associated with other trauma such as pedestrians, bicycles, tractors, ladders or scaffolding.
“The mannequin is as close to real life as you can get,” Mr Chilton said. “It is designed to facilitate the real life health complications of road trauma. Students can practice a range of techniques including patient handling, immobilization, ventilation and administering an IV without causing harm.”
The mannequin’s features include carotid, radial and brachial pulses, replaceable skin and veins, the ability to set systolic and diastolic blood pressures and can respond to electrical and oxygen therapy.
“The key to the complex is that the simulations allow for error and hence provide a valuable teaching and learning tool,” Mr Chilton said.
The $50,000 simulation complex was part funded by a $20,000 RACV Sir Edmund Herring Memorial Scholarship with the remainder of the cost supported by the centre.
The new Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, which will commence at Peninsula next year, was officially launched by Marilyn Pattison, Honorary Secretary to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, last week.
According to course director Associate Professor Louise Farnworth, the course will have a strong focus on health promotion and community capacity building and is unique in that it is the only one of its kind serving the specific occupational therapy educational needs of the Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland area.
"The location also creates opportunities to develop strategic alliances and new partnerships between academic staff and the practice field that has otherwise not been afforded," she explained.
The course will incorporate Inter-Professional Learning as one of its core hallmarks with strong links being made with Nursing, Paramedic studies, Physiotherapy and Health Science/Social Work programs at Monash Peninsula.
 Federal member for Dunkley, Mr Bruce Billson, Director, Health and Wellbeing Research Professor Carol Morse, Academic Director Professor Phillip Steele and Deputy Dean, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Professor Leon Piterman at the launch |
OT students will also join business students enrolled in the double Psychology/Business degree. This will be a strategic step to establishing greater commonality in the first-year curricula for health sciences courses at the Peninsula campus. It will enable more effective use of teaching resources, and encourage a more holistic approach to health science education that will assist in breaking down artificial barriers between the professions when graduates enter professional practice.
The course, which has been developed by Associate Professor Farnworth, Rebecca Allen, Dr Ted Brown, and Pamela Kirke with input from OT AUSTRALIA Victoria and representatives from local health service providers, will incorporate more than 1000 hours of fieldwork education, including specialist rural placements.
Students currently enrolled in the Diploma of Health Sciences this year will move into the second year of the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy with a new intake of 60 students enrolling in the first year of the program next year.
Hugh O'Reilly from the Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics in the Faculty of Business and Economics has been nominated to provide initial assistance to Peninsula postgraduate students who need support with the statistical component of their research projects.
In the instance that he is unable to provide the assistance needed, Hugh will refer the student to an appropriate source to resolve their issues. Hugh can be contacted via email or on extn 44632.
Six teams from the Peninsula campus joined more than 80 university teams taking a virtual walk from Port Douglas to Hobart as part of the 10,000 steps challenge.
Each team walked at least 3.8 million steps over a five week period to reach the destination. The Peninsula teams that participated were: Florence Warriors (Nursing), Peninsula Admin, Peninsula Library, The Hard Yakkas (Health Sciences), The Health Sciences Hotties and Community Services.
Several walkers undertook at least 10,000 steps every day of the challenge including Bernard Hornblower (Florence Warriors), Alan Reynolds (The Hard Yakkas), Brett Wingfield, Pat Morton, Lay Lin Oh and Robin Drury (Peninsula Admin), and Philip Hopley, Judy Hopley and Joyce Jenkin (Peninsula Library).
|
|
Academic Director Phillip Steele presented a '10,000 steps per day' certificate to Judy Hopley from the Library at the recent campus drinks. |
A couple of new links have been added to the Peninsula campus web page.
Staff can now look at past issues of Peninsula Online, include information about upcoming events in the Campus Calendar and explore the types of Community Engagement activities the campus is involved in. The aim is to make the website as representative of the campus as possible, highlighting the many events, activities and achievements that happen on a regular basis.
Staff are encouraged to make use of the website where possible, providing details of activities to be included. Ideas for new links and information are also welcome.
The Staff Social Club invites all staff to attend the jointly organised Academic Director/Social Club End of Year luncheon on Tuesday 6 December at the Seahorse Tavern.
Prices are only $15 for members and $20 for non-members, which includes traditional roast turkey, ham, and vegetables, garden salad and crusty bread with plum pudding and custard for dessert. Drinks are on the Academic Director!
Join Monash Vice Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins and Academic Director Professor Phillip Steele for a relaxing lunch and an opportunity to recap on the busy year and the opportunities ahead in 2006.
To book a place, tickets must be purchased from social club committee members no later than Thursday, 1 December. Any area that wishes to pay for their staff must still provide a list of staff attending to the Social Club as well as a catering requisition order to Monyx Food and Beverage.
Contact Sue Schuwalow, Pauline Nelson, Michael Mirra, Julie Ryan , Judy Hopley, Jenny McGrath, Rod Rodway or Andrew Healy.
