Students from Terrigal High School recently experienced firsthand how a single risky decision can lead to serious injury, when they followed the journey of a patient rushed to hospital for life-saving treatment. While an actor played the patient and the blood was fake, students observed real doctors and nurses in action as they simulated what happens when a trauma patient arrives at Gosford Hospital’s emergency department.
Through this immersive experience, students heard directly from trauma specialists, emergency department and intensive care doctors and nurses, allied health staff, police liaison officers, paramedics, an organ donation specialist and a person with lived experience of a traumatic accident.
The Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma (P.A.R.T.Y.) program was developed to educate young people about the dangers of risk-taking behaviours before they are injured Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) Trauma Clinical Nurse Consultant Peter Mackay said the local emergency departments often care for young people whose lives have been irrevocably changed after risky behaviour such as driving too fast or taking drugs or alcohol.
“We don’t want to stop young people from enjoying their independence, but we also want to give them a different perspective on the real-world consequences that can follow a rash decision, to help them appreciate that a momentary choice can have life-changing impacts,” Mr Mackay said.
CCLHD Emergency Staff Specialist, Dr Lewis Bennett said the goal of the program is to empower students to recognise risky situations and make safer decisions before harm occurs.
“By giving students an insight into what happens inside a trauma unit, we hope they’re motivated to think differently about risk and adopt behaviours that protect themselves and others,” Dr Bennett said.
The P.A.R.T.Y. program is free and is aimed at students in years 10, 11 and 12. The one-day program runs once per semester with around 25 students in attendance and attracts strong interest from local schools, with some already expressing interest in participating in next year’s program.
Background information on the P.A.R.T.Y. program
- The P.A.R.T.Y. program was developed in 1986 in the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, in Toronto Canada. An emergency nurse saw large amounts of trauma occurring in young people and recognised the need to educate youth about the perils of risk-taking behaviour before they were injured. The program is conducted at 173 sites globally, including Canada, America, Japan, Germany, and Brazil.
- Central Coast Local Health District’s Trauma Service has been running the P.A.R.T.Y. Program in conjunction with Royal North Shore Hospital since 2016.