The Education Hub - Conversation with the experts

In this episode from the Royal Children's Hospital, we dive into the practical challenges of giving medicines to kids. Join host Amanda Stock, Paediatric Emergency Consultant, as she chats with Clinical Pharmacist Natalija Bogunovic, and Child Life Therapist Anne-Maree Leahy. Together, they explore common concerns and share expert advice on how to give tablets and capsules, safely part-dose medicines, and support children in learning to swallow tablets. Whether you're a parent, caregiver or healthcare provider, this episode is packed with helpful strategies to make medicine time less stressful and more successful for everyone.    Links: Swallowing tablets - KidzMeds - EMEESY For RCH clinicians: through eMIMS- don't rush to crush is accessible to learn if a medicine can be crushed and dispersed Royal Children's Hospital- Kids Health Information Fact sheet : How to give your child medicine coming soon 

In this second - bonus narrative medicine episode - we discuss Zdravka Evtimova's haunting short story, Blood of a Mole. Join us as we reflect on themes of empathy, detachment and burnout. Like in the previous podcast, we'd like you to get involved in the writing component during our chat. This will help you digest the story better as well as give you an opportunity to create your own ending to this part of the story.  Link to the short story Blood of a Mole by Zdravka Evtimova 

Today's episode provides a deep dive into trauma and trauma-informed preventative care (TIPC), and how it guides the way we approach care for children, young people, and families, and for ourselves as healthcare providers.   Listen as Rachel Tolan, a senior mental health clinician and credentialed mental health nurse, speaks about the clinical side of TIPC, as well as guest Carmen Ludeman, a lived experience advisor, who provides a unique perspective from the lens of families, carers, and supporters."   Resources: Trauma-Informed Preventative Care Foundational eLearn (RCH staff only) Trauma-informed preventative care (TIPC) - short introduction podcast The Behaviour Support Profile EMR Tip Sheet (RCH staff only)

This is a BONUS mini-series from our sister show 'Teach, Think, Treat' (TTT). These episodes are first published on that channel before coming here to CWTE. We wanted to share this fascinating series with you, on the concept of narrative medicine. Join us for a thought-provoking three-part mini-series on narrative medicine, where storytelling meets the art and science of care. Featuring Dr. Mariam Tokhi and Dr. Fiona Reilly, we explore texts that reveal the power of narrative medicine in healthcare and life.  Link to the poem What the Doctor Said by Raymond Carver.  Follow our sister show TTT via the main page below and click on Apple and Spotify icons to load it into your app. educationhubttt.podbean.com

Monitoring and managing the health of kidneys in the neonatal population is important for their longevity. In this podcast, we talk with paediatric nephrologist, Dr Tom Forbes, as he discusses the whys and hows of monitoring the health of kidneys in premature infants. Tom also talks about the Neonatal Kidney Collaborative Guidelines for the follow-up of ex-neonatal patients with respect to their kidney health. Don't forget about World Kidney Day 13th March.  World Kidney Day 2025 Homepage https://www.worldkidneyday.org/ Kidney Health Australia (includes an online kidney health check for adults and lots of other resources for kidney patients of all ages) https://kidney.org.au/ Kidney Health Monitoring in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Graduates – Clinical Practice Guideline from the NKC. Kidney Health Monitoring in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Graduates: A Modified Delphi Consensus Statement | Pediatrics | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network World Kidney Day: Case Finding for Kidney Disease in Children– From Neonates to Adolescents https://www.kireports.org/article/S2468-0249(24)03464-8/fulltext  

Did you know that about 10% of the population avoid seeking medical care due to fear associated with medical procedures?    Early healthcare experiences shape future responses and poorly managed procedural distress can have long-term negative effects.    When a procedure is anticipated to be particularly painful or distressing, we may need consider the use of procedural sedation.    But which sedation is the best? when should we use it? and what do we need to consider?   To help answer these questions and talk more about procedural sedation in the Emergency setting we are lucky to be joined by Amanda Stock and Melanie Turner. Communicating procedures to Children   Nitrous Oxide - Oxygen Mix  Ketamine use for procedural sedation B+ videos   

Whilst iron is important for red blood cell production in the body, about a third of the population are deficient in iron. Treatment in adults is a relatively simple process but is more complex in children. Join us as we talk with paediatric haematology trainee, Dr Cara Lacey as she discusses the recognition and treatment of iron deficiency in children.     https://www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/guideline_index/iron_deficiency/  https://www.rch.org.au/uploadedFiles/Main/Content/nutrition/Iron.pdf 

In this BONUS episode from our sister show Teach Think Treat, we delve into what the Education Hub at the RCH has done during this year. From running multiple escape rooms to producing regular podcasts and creating new face-to-face conversational education sessions, we've done a lot! We ponder the pitfalls of education in a large hospital setting, the power of outreach and how to inspire people to attend education programs in person. Join us as we take you on our 2024 education odyssey at the Education Hub – RCH. 

Whilst there are thousands of them dotted across the country, farms are a very unique place of work. And the reason for this is that farms are the livelihood of the farmers themselves and almost always, the farmers live on the farm. This means, if the farmers have children, the children are also on the farm and in many cases, they will work on the farm, often from a young age.   But just like any workplace and any home, accidents can happen and some of these are serious.   Today we have 3 guests who each have a different role to play in farm safety for children and are coming to this conversation from different perspectives.    RCH, Farm Safety Fact Sheet https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Farm_Safety/   VFF, Child Safety on Farms Guidebook Available with additional information: https://www.makingourfarmssafer.org.au/resources/child-safety-on-farm-handbook/ Direct link for handbook: https://www.makingourfarmssafer.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/VFF-Child-Safety-on-Farms-Guidebook-PDF.pdf   Kidsafe Victoria, Farm Safety Information and resources https://www.kidsafevic.com.au/home-safety/farm-safety-creative-competition/ Direct link to parent guide to farm safety: https://www.kidsafevic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/202204-Kidsafe-Parents-Guide-to-Farms-web-version.pdf Direct link to farm safety checklist: https://www.kidsafevic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Farm-Safety-Checklist_Digital.pdf   Victorian Better Health Channel, Farm Safety Information https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/farm-safety-children   Royal Life Saving Australia, Farm Water Safety https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/stay-safe-active/locations/farm-water-safety

In paediatrics, we are used to vomit. Lots of vomit. Sometimes it feels as if just looking at the child in the wrong (or right) way makes them vomit.   In this podcast with Dr Jeremy Friend we discuss a sensible approach to the vomiting child and ask the question, why did they vomit? 

As we shift the focus from “What's wrong with you?” to “What's happened to you?”, we can be better informed of a patient's situation and can approach their care accordingly. This is known as Trauma Informed Preventative Care (TIPC). In this episode, Dr Catherine Olwenyi, paediatric anaesthetist and key area lead for the Campus Mental Health Strategy's TIPC key area talks about the TIPC framework and how we can our patients' responses to care.  Resources https://mentalhealth.melbournechildrens.com/media/vqpd3ddb/tipc-policy-summary.pdf https://www.healthcaretoolbox.org/

About 15% of children globally have high blood pressure and many may not know it until it causes problems in adult life. Early detection is therefore critical to prevent cardio-vascular disease. PhD candidate, Jonathan Glenning from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute's Heart Research Group gives us an overview of high blood pressure in children and talks about his vision of drastically increasing the rate of childhood blood pressure monitoring. 

How do you approach the common clinical presentation of constipation? In this case-based episode, we are joined by paediatric gastroenterologist, Dr Mark Oliver. Mark is given 4 typical age-related presentations, where he discusses how best to manage these.   RCH Encoporesis Fitness Training Diary:  https://www.rch.org.au/uploadedFiles/Main/Content/kidsinfo/constipation-encopresis-diary.pdf   RCH Constipation Clinical Practice Guidelines:  https://www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/guideline_index/Constipation/   North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition (NASPGHAN):  https://naspghan.org/  

Learning from Wadja is a new sub-series for health professionals who work with aboriginal patients and their families. Wadja is at The Royal Children's Hospital, Australia on Wurundjeri land. In this first podcast, we ask Selena and Mick from Wadja Aboriginal Family Place how they run culturally sensitive services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families who visit RCH for care. We also discuss how Wadja was founded and a bit about its history. 

This episode with Professor Jim Buttery dives into the complexities of healthcare data sharing, the barriers created by privacy laws and disparate systems, and the potential solutions to these challenges. Key highlights include discussions on the issues with interoperability within Australian healthcare, the impact of historical systems like EMRs on data sharing and emerging technologies that could revolutionise how healthcare data is managed and utilized. Professor Buttery also touches on the role of consumer expectations in driving improvements and consumer involvement in the future of healthcare informatics. 

In this episode, we explore the intricacies of vaccine administration in community settings with Rachael McGuire, Education Nurse Coordinator at The Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre. This episode covers a range of topics, including optimal locations for childhood vaccinations, tips for immunisers, s-trategies for enhancing patient comfort and handling common concerns like allergies and illnesses. Rachael also shares valuable insights into professional collaboration, emerging trends in vaccination and essential resources for healthcare professionals. 

Whilst many people can appreciate the importance of vaccinations, there exists a small percentage of the population who are hesitant to receive them. In this episode, we chat with Dr Jessica Kaufman about the rate the vaccination amongst children in Australia, the factors that contribute to vaccine hesitancy and some practical strategies to address those who are hesitant. 

In this episode we speak with Ken Knight, Chair of the Melbourne Children's LGBTIQA+ Collective, about what it takes to be LGBTIQA+ inclusive in care, and in health and medical research. Anyone interested in joining the Campus LGBTQIA+ Collective can email ken.knight@mcri.edu.au  MJA article - The kids are OK: it is discrimination not same-sex parents that harms children: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2017/207/9/kids-are-ok-it-discrimination-not-same-sex-parents-harms-children  Queers in Science: https://queersinscience.org.au/ 

Whilst the changing behaviours of patients in hospital can be caused by any number of reasons, one of these of course is due to dissatisfaction. This also occurs in some children when they are in hospital and can often be well misunderstood as to why it occurs and how it is managed. There are also adults; whether they are staff or families of patients, who may exhibit escalated behaviours. Christie and Kathy share their experiences and expertise around this topic. 

Explore the world of ECG's from the perspective of a paediatric emergency specialist, John Cheek.  We discuss some key differences related to paediatric ECG's in the ED such as indications, history taking tips and common paediatric pathologies. 

In this episode we speak with Hannah Nicholls, a Radiographer at St. Vincents, about her experience coming out at work. She has driven change in how her organisation supports members of the LGBTQIA+ community and has made progress in creating more welcoming spaces.

How much do you know about Neurofibromatosis? In this episode, RCH Neurologist, Dr Gabriel Dabscheck takes us through this genetic condition as we explore its features, diagnosis, surveillance and treatment.   Resources:  https://www.ctf.org.au/  https://www.ctf.org/  https://nervetumours.org.uk/  https://www.flickerofhope.org.au/ 

Procedures can be invasive and uncomfortable. For children, this can, at times, be challenging and scary. In this episode, we chat with Stacey Richards from the RCH Procedural Holding Committee and Emma McDonald from the RCH Comfort Kids team. Stacey and Emma discuss procedural holding for children and provide some useful tips for ensuring children and comfortable and safe during procedures.  Resources:  For families (SR):   Kids Health Information : About Kids Health Information (rch.org.au)  Comfort Kids : For kids (rch.org.au)  RCH TV : Be Positive (B+)  For clinicians (EM):  Clinical Guidelines (Nursing) : Procedure Management Guideline (rch.org.au)  https://educationhubcwte.podbean.com/mf/play/q3ktap/show_13278_episode_923768.mp3   Podcasts : Essential Ethics (rch.org.au)  https://www.megfoundationforpain.org/    For up to date information from the Procedural Holding Committee:  Subscribe to Education Hub (confirmsubscription.com) 

Abdominal pain can have a wide range of differential diagnoses and determining the right one can be very complex and stressful, particularly if the pain has a time critical cause. We are joined by Dr Amanda Stock from RCH Emergency who discusses the possible causes and sequelae of abdominal pain and describes the implications of functional abdominal pain. 

In this episode we talk about managing children's airways under difficult circumstances. Dr Stefan Sabato and A/Prof Elliot Long from the RCH will explore multiple aspects of airway management, where difficulty may be encountered. The discussion includes anatomical difficulty, physiological difficulty and other circumstances where the situation in which the airway is being managed is difficult. The contributors to difficulty will be explored for each of these circumstances, as well as solutions and pitfalls. RCH Airway guideline: https://www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/guideline_index/Emergency_airway_management/  

Joining me today are Bec Marshall and Claire De Simone, whom are the Clinical nurse consultants for the ENT department. This is the second part of a 2-part series on Tonsil-adenoidectomy. In the outreach service we often deliver education about managing patients who have undergone Tonsil-adenoidectomy and receive many questions on what we teach children and families about the care at home. Bec and Claire discuss the importance of parent/family education, how this can lead to decrease admission rates and improve outcomes.  

Joining us today are Bec Marshall and Claire De Simone who are the Clinical Nurse Consultants for the ENT department. Bec and Claire discuss the current management of oxygen desaturations following tonsil-adenoidectomy. In the following podcast (PART 2), we will talk about the discharge education given to families, following this procedure. This will cover what we teach children and families about the care at home.  

Today we are joined by Dr. Rebecca McIntyre, staff anaesthetist at the RCH. Rebecca takes us through the management of Rapid Sequence Inductions for the paediatric patients undergoing anaesthesia. 

Joining us today is the Deputy Director of Anaesthesia at the RCH. The wonderful Dr Philip Ragg.   In this episode we discuss, perhaps the most requested and controversial topic; paediatric fasting for anaesthesia and surgery.     

In this podcast, Dr Karen Dunn discusses bruising, petechia and purpura - the basics, general approach and what not to miss.

In this podcast, Dr Giuliana Antolovich hits the tip of the Cerebral Palsy iceberg – what it is, its prevalence, diagnosis, aetiology, risk factors and so much more. It's a wonderful discussion with such a passionate individual.

Paulina Alhucema talks to us about food allergy in children and what IgE and Non-IgE means. Here are some resources around this:   National Allergy Centre of Excellence - https://www.nace.org.au  ASCIA - https://www.allergy.org.au/  Allergy and anaphylaxis Australia - https://allergyfacts.org.au/  Teenagers living with allergies - https://allergy250k.org.au/  IgE Mediated Food Allergy CPG https://www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/guideline_index/Food_allergy_-_IgE_mediated_food_allergy/   Non IgE Mediated Food Allergy CPG - https://www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/guideline_index/Non-IgE_mediated_food_allergy/  

In this episode we are joined by Connie Montagner, a social worker, who will be discussing psychological trauma. She outlines the different types of trauma, explains psychological trauma and the possible responses to this trauma. Connie will also share some advice for health professionals to assist those showing signs of trauma. If this episode is triggering for you, please seek support or speak to someone. You can also talk to Beyond Blue beyondblue.org.au if you're in Australia. For global audiences, please speak to psychological support services in your area.

Today we speak with Dr Peter Squire. Peter is an anaesthetist who will share insights into premedication, how and when to use it and the benefits it can offer when a child is uncooperative. 

In this first podcast of 2023, we speak to 2 amazing clinical nurse consultants. Debra Poole and Lilly Healy have over 30 years of combined experience in allergy consultation. We talk about what services they provide and how we disseminate pre-referral guidelines. 

This podcast is the second in a two-part series about what happens when something goes wrong in the delivery of healthcare. Dr Ruth Armstrong is a neonatologist at the RCH. Together we'll attempt to unravel the impact on staff and families when things don't go to plan. She will also share her personal reflections about being involved in a critical incident herself. Anxiety, depression and suicide prevention support - Beyond Blue 

Mike Clifford, a paediatric intensivist and anaesthesiologist joins us to discuss the incidence and management of Laryngospasm in the perioperative environment. 

Today we're talking with Di Tucker, the Director of Quality and Improvement at the Royal Children's Hospital. We will talk about how an adverse event at RCH is investigated and why it is so important to learn from them to reduce harm to other patients. 

Atopic dermatitis, also known as atopic eczema, affects a large proportion of children and is most common in infants. Over the past 30 years, a threefold increase in paediatric atopic dermatitis has been reported. In this episode, Nurse Practitioner Emma King will share her insights and tips in managing paediatric eczema. 

A big complication of Haemophilia is bleeds, which can at time be quite severe. In this episode, we chat with Clinical Nurse Consultant, Erin Krake and Physiotherapist, Nicola Hamilton to discuss the management of bleeds in these patients and how we can try to prevent them. 

A relatively new treatment in patients with Haemophilia A, Emicizumab helps to improve management in these patients and significantly reduce their time in hospital. Janine Furmedge and Dr Chris Barnes of the RCH Clinical Haematology team join us to discuss Haemophilia A and the role of this new drug. 

Pain management for a child undergoing tonsil-adenoidectomies can be tricky. Bec Marshall joins us to discuss this and the work she undertook with Safer Care Victoria to improve outcomes and re-admissions.

In this episode Dr. Peter Howe joins us to discuss the differences experienced when undertaking anaesthesia induction in children. He helps us understand the important role of communicating with children and their families throughout this process.

There's a lot to consider about safety around an MRI scanner, with huge consequences if they are not adhered to. To help us understand more about MRI Safety, we chat with the head of MRI at RCH, Mike Kean. Mike gives us an overview of MRI and what you need to consider before entering the scan room.

The role of the intraoperative nurse is often not seen or understood. Carolyn Sahhar, Perioperative Nurse Educator at RCH joins us to discuss the important role they play in the care provided to children undergoing anaesthesia & surgery.

Contrast media is often used in Medical Imaging studies and patients need some preparation before undergoing these studies. We talk with paediatric radiologist Dr Karen Atkin who helps us understand more about what contrast media is, why we use it and the importance of good patient preparation.Okee in Medical Imaging : Okee in Medical Imaging app (rch.org.au)RANZCR Iodinated Contrast Guidelines | RANZCR

Physiotherapy input for a child with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is important. In this episode we talk with Katy De Valle, a physiotherapist, about what physiotherapy for DMD can look like and how the role of a physiotherapist changes as DMD progresses.

In this episode we are joined by Bianca Devsam, Clinical Neonatal Research Nurse Consultant at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse here at The Royal Children's Hospital. This episode is the second part of a series on neonatal pain. In the previous episode we discussed assessment. Today we will be sharing simple but effective strategies that can be implemented in any clinical setting with a particular focus on procedural pain. Reduce your infant's pain during newborn blood tests - YouTube Breastfeed to minimize vaccination pain - 2 months - YouTube

In this episode we are joined by Bianca Devsam, Clinical Neonatal Research Nurse Consultant at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse here at The Royal Children's Hospital. We will be discussing the unique nature of neonatal pain and Bianca sharing some tools and strategies clinicians can apply to their own practice. Next episode will cover the management of neonatal pain.

Caring for a child as they emerge for surgery and anaesthesia can be both rewarding and challenging. Join us as we discuss the care of the child in Recovery/PACU with Lauren Jorgensen Clinical Support Nurse and Jake Lirosi Associate Unit Manager of PACU at RCH.

Play is an important way for children to learn about hospitalisation and reduce fears and anxieties. We talk with student coordinators of the Teddy Bear Hospital program about the origins of the program, the events they run, and how this program benefits children, parents/guardians and students alike.