RGH ED wins double accolades at ACEM awards

The Rockingham General Hospital (RGH) Emergency Department (ED) has received top honours, winning two national Australian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) awards, the Wellbeing Award and the Diversity and Inclusion Award.

Head of Department ED Asheila Narang said it was an honour to take out the accolades.

“To win one award is great, to win two is amazing,” Asheila said.

“With the time limitations we have in ED and being a small hospital, I feel really proud that our ED has won and has been recognised for the great working being done.” 

The ACEM Wellbeing Award recognises those who are proactively putting in place a well-considered strategy to encourage and promote the physical and mental health of staff.

They were recognised for the positive impact their RGH ED monthly newsletter had on the department. With features to welcome new staff members, celebrate individual and team successes, as well as provide links to useful resources and area updates, the newsletter has helped to create a greater sense of team.

The second awards the team won, the Diversity and Inclusion Award, celebrates and promotes the principles of diversity. By embracing diversity, the emergency medicine profession will attract and retain a skilled and talented workforce dedicated to excellence, whilst also fostering inclusive communities - both inside and outside emergency departments.

As part of improving diversity and inclusion training in the workplace, the ED team designed and delivered a practical cultural competency workshop, initially for ED registrars and consultants, in partnership with local Aboriginal elders and the South Metropolitan Health Service Aboriginal Health Strategy Team. This was then rolled out to the whole department after receiving positive feedback.

“The workshop was so successful that we then extended it to create a cultural safety working group that meets monthly,” Asheila said.

“This has resulted in many changes with a positive impact on the local community, our patients, family and staff.”

Some of the changes include safe and culturally appropriate signage in ED, new culturally designed scrubs and lanyards, an appropriate space for Aboriginal Health Liaison Officer reviews, additional literacy and education for patients and staff and building relationships with the community and mental health partners.

“It’s great to be acknowledged on a national level for the hard work we are all doing to improve the environment we are in for our colleagues, patients, families and visitors,” Asheila said.

“I feel like we are engaged as a team, focused on providing excellence patient-centred care and supporting one another, and these wins really highlight that.”

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