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Emergency care in Kiribati: A combined medical and nursing model for development
Author(s) -
Tassicker Brady,
Tong Tanebu,
Ribanti Teitinana,
Gittus Angie,
Griffiths Bronwen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
emergency medicine australasia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.602
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1742-6723
pISSN - 1742-6731
DOI - 10.1111/1742-6723.13209
Subject(s) - bespoke , staffing , medicine , nursing , medical emergency , law , political science
Objectives To summarise recent developments in emergency care in Kiribati, a developing Pacific Island nation. Multiple donor countries and agencies have partnered in this process. Changes in medical training, staffing models and planned infrastructure developments are all described, with a particular focus on a recent emergency nurse training programme. Methods A bespoke nurse education course was developed by external clinical nurse specialists in collaboration with local administrators and clinicians, incorporating WHO Basic Emergency Care course. The nine‐day course was delivered to 18 nurses, over a 3‐week period to accommodate rostering requirements. Pre‐ and post‐course assessment was undertaken. Results Quantitative assessment improved from 87.11 ± 7.46 (mean ± SD) to 94.89 ± 5.95 ( t = 5.45, P < 0.001). Qualitative scenario‐based assessment confirmed marked improvement. Conclusions A multifaceted development strategy has proven essential for progression in emergency care. Nurse education is an essential component of this, and the existing model has potential for other similar nations.