Although Cathy Weaver was officially appointed head of the Children’s Ward at The Bowral and District Hospital earlier this year Cathy is no stranger to paediatrics.
Working in the field of paediatrics for twenty something years Cathy did her initial training at The Children’s Hospital at Camperdown and got her Masters Degree in paediatrics.
When the family moved to the Highlands twelve years ago Cathy worked for some time at The Bowral and District Hospital before working at Westmead and at Liverpool as an educator in paediatrics.
She is a member of the Australian Confederation of Paediatric and Child Health Nurses Inc. and she said that this offers a wide range of contacts not only Australia-wide but worldwide.
“The face of paediatrics is changing dramatically” said Cathy.
She and her team are currently working on the implementation of an Outreach programme for children.
To be launched in the not to distant future the outreach programme will be the paediatric version of the Transitional Care programme that is currently being conducted through Community Health.
Cathy has had three years diversion while she was working in the community health field. While she was there she was part of the team that established the transitional care, taking nursing into the home more and more offering patients options.
She saw first hand how the patients well being was taken into account and that many preferred to be in their own familiar surroundings. She used her time to access children’s needs.
Part of the new outreach programme will include follow up phone calls for children who come in to the emergency department who it may be assessed need a little follow through.
Cathy stresses that anyone who thinks that there may be a problem with their child’s health is welcome to ring the children’s ward for advise. They can generally advise worried parents over the phone whether to take the children to their local GP or to the emergency department.
“Sometime parents are just not sure” said Cathy and she would rather have the parents call than be stressed out about whether or not they are doing the right thing.
“It’s never just the children. People often forget that it’s the family as well.”
There are ten beds in the children’s ward and it is generally staffed for 50 per cent occupancy with additional staff called in as required.
“Sometimes it can be hard finding qualified paediatric nurses,” said Cathy who said that the staff that are presently at Bowral are “one of the most enthusiastic teams I’ve ever worked with.”
They work as a team and meet new challenges as they present themselves. “They take up the challenge and run with it.”
Their input to new ideas and concepts is invaluable and the compassion and empathy they display is second to none.
They need additional skills as much of their work includes observations as many of the younger children can not tell them what the problem is. They are very in tune with the needs of children. “I’m very proud of them,” said Cathy.
Having worked within the community Cathy is only too well aware of the problems associated with the geographical challenges that the Highlands offers.
Although we have some excellent doctors in the highlands we do not necessarily have all the specialist “on tap.” “It is reassuring to know that that assistance is only a phone call away,” said Cathy as specialists can be accessed by phone. “We were actually the first retrieval for Childflight back in 1981,” said Cathy who could not speak too highly of the Childflight service which officially launched it’s second helicopter last Tuesday.
Cathy is delighted by the sense of community in the Highlands and is at times overwhelmed by the generosity of the community. The Bowral, Moss Vale and Burrawang/Wildes Meadow auxiliaries are constantly supporting the hospital as is Rainbow of the Southern Highlands.
Cathy referred to the words of Win Smith that the community has always rallied to support the hospital and it is up to the staff to provide the community with the best service that they can.
The job is challenging but those challenges are taken up and met.
Cathy maintains and optimistic outlook on life with much hope and faith.
She is dedicated to her profession and looks forward to the implementation of the new programme which will benefit the whole community.
Truly a compassionate lady who has dedicated her life to the care and well being of others.
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