With up to 100 children presenting to Logan Hospital’s Children’s Emergency Department each day, the team is finding new ways to improve care for Logan’s littlest patients.
Alongside growing demand for paediatric emergency care, clinicians are seeing increasingly complex cases, with many children requiring urgent assessment and treatment.
In response, the department has introduced dedicated paediatric nursing leadership and a new Paediatric Emergency Action Plan to review and strengthen care for children.
The hospital’s first Paediatric Emergency Nurse Unit Manager Stephanie Urwin is helping lead these improvements by supporting staff, advocating for resources and improving the patient journey through the department.
Stephanie said the newly created role recognised the specialised skills needed to care for children in an emergency setting, where young patients could deteriorate quickly and often struggled to explain their symptoms.
She said the Action Plan included streamlined transfer processes, neurodiversity-friendly strategies, and collaboration across Metro South Health to identify alternative treatment pathways for eligible children with high-acuity needs.
"Supporting our staff is equally important to delivering quality care and I am passionate about creating a positive, supportive workplace culture, as I believe valued, empowered staff are best placed to deliver exceptional care.”
With demand continuing to grow, Stephanie and her team remain focused on providing compassionate, high-quality care to young people.
“Ultimately, we want every child and family who comes through our doors to have a positive experience," she said. “The Emergency Department is often the first step in a child’s healthcare journey, and because first impressions last, I want every family to leave feeling heard, reassured and confident their child has received the best possible care.”