providing more equitable burns care

The Kidsburns team are finalists in the 2019 HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards. The team are based at The Children's Hospital at Westmead in NSW

The Kidsburns team is recognised for developing a 24-hour state-wide burns referral and consultation service that provides remote specialised advice and burns management recommendations to clinicians treating children in NSW. This model of care has been rolled out to the Murrumbidgee Local Health District.

Kidsburns nurse practitioners support clinicians in managing paediatric burn patients remotely through the use of telephone, e-mail, and photograph review.

The service is a joint initiative between The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the Ministry of Health and was established as a way of providing more equitable burns health care services to the Murrumbidgee Local Health District.

The service has facilitated the up-skilling of local clinicians, teaching them minor burn management skills so that with the remote support of Kidsburns they can treat children locally without having to send them to Sydney for treatment.

The service was established as a result of research which showed a large percentage of paediatric burns patients were travelling unnecessarily long distances for treatment of minor injuries which could be managed locally.

Kidsburns has helped reduce unnecessary travel for treatment and decrease unnecessary hospital admissions whilst also allowing patients to be treated closer to home in a more timely and effective manner. The team hopes this model of care can be progressively rolled out all other New South Wales Health Districts. 

Watch the awards online. Tune into Facebook live from 6.30pm AEST Friday 9 May 2019.