Goulburn Base Hospital and the Australian National University Clinical School hosted a study day on 7 February 2025 with the Australasian Rehabilitation Nurses’ Association (ARNA), with a comprehensive program focused on rehabilitation care.
The day began with a Welcome to Country by Jennie Gordon and opening remarks from Melissa Bonser. Dr. Julie Pryor set the tone with a practical session on setting rehabilitation goals, followed by Kristine Joyce Caprecho’s insightful presentation on stroke care.
Throughout the day, attendees engaged in discussions on key topics, including bowel and bladder management (Edwina Spooner), Sub Acute Rehabilitation in the Home (Sarah Potter), and a planned patient journey from screening to TACP in the home (Sushmita Bista and Amanda Tomlinson). Melissa Bonser shared insights into the InReach Rehabilitation program at Liverpool Hospital.
In the afternoon, Paul Lum On addressed pressure injury prevention under orthopedic devices, and Dr Jennifer O’Riordan provided an in-depth look at rehabilitation practices.
The day concluded with a Q&A forum and an evaluation, giving participants the opportunity to reflect on the knowledge shared and to speak about future opportunities.
Aleta O’Meara, Rehabilitation Nurse Unit Manager at Goulburn Base Hospital and one of the event organisers, said, “It’s been fantastic to see such engagement from our professional community, with a real focus on enhancing patient care and collaboration.
"We have never had a cohort of participants who have spanned such geography - people travelled from the coastal network, Griffith, Dubbo, North Shore, Illawarra, Canberra, Victoria to attend. This event has given us all the tools to take our practices to the next level. Our next training day has been booked for 13 February 2026 and we already have interest from future speakers."