Our final episode on this special, poignantly being released on the 12th of May (International Nurses Day) is about Sarah, who began her paediatric nursing career in the UK.

In Australia 33% of our nursing workforce are born overseas, and with them they bring a wealth of knowledge and skills that can be applied here to improve the quality of nursing care.

Sarah speaks about her experience training in the UK and working in a busy London PICU before relocating to Melbourne and transferring her skills across. Many things are consistent with our nursing practices across different countries, but many things differ as well. We discuss this in this episode, along with placement poverty, a real issue being faced by many nurses studying their undergraduate degrees in todays climate. But we also have many, many laughs!

We hope you enjoy this last and final episode of our mini series for 2024 International Nurses Day, thank you to all our guests and to all nurses out there in the world. You're doing a great job!

Episode 4 in our mini series for International Women's Day 2024 we are speaking with Katie, who entered into Nursing after having already established herself in a different career, and she has never looked back!

Katie is an accredited nurse immuniser and a clinical nurse specialist at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.

She's an advocate for trauma informed patient and family centered care and loves to talk about evidence based practice. Katie's worked in healthcare and water and sanitation in Australia, Southeast Asia, and in Pacific Island countries. She's keen to share her passion for immunization and has special interests in needle phobia, vaccination catch ups and international child health

Link to MVEC the NFP she works for and mentions in the podcast here

Continuing on with our International Nurses Day mini series. Today you are going to hear from Lea. After many years in the acute paediatric space, Lea has made the move into school nursing and supporting children from prep to year 12 with the formative health foundations to make good choices. Its a slow burn, and she doesn't always see the impact she is having straight away, but its incredibly rewarding as you will hear.

International Nurses Day 2024 has the theme 'our nurses, our future, the economic power of care' which highlights the importance that nurses play within our society and how much they contribute to people's health.

I this episode of our special mini series for IND 2024 we speak to Rhi who works in a medical and respiratory ward supporting children and their parents through their hospital admissions. She combines her passion for nursing with her empathy and love of educating and empowering others to help families and children thrive both inside the hospital and out.

This PAEDS Small Talk mini series is a little different to our regular programming. Instead of chatting with parents and children, in light of International nurses Day on the 12th of May - we are going to speak with 5 incredible paediatric nurses who will share their journey into becoming children’s nurses and the diverse roles that they have now. We discuss the amazing highs and the very real lows of nursing along with some nurses humour along the way (blanket trigger warning for all the body fluids here!).

This episode we talk with Isabelle about her journey from a Science degree to paediatric ICU and then all the way to leadership where she applies a 'human centred' philosophy.

In this heartwarming episode of Paeds Small Talk, we delve into the extraordinary lives of Sarah Hunstead and her daughter, Izzy, offering an intimate glimpse into their daily challenges and victories.

Sarah, is a seasoned paediatric nurse with a rich background in paediatric emergency care and founder of CPR Kids , and shares her unexpected journey into the world of autism, sensory processing disorder, and OCD, after her daughter Izzy’s diagnosis.

Through their story, you will discover the nuances of navigating the healthcare system from a dual perspective: a professional within and a parent in need. This episode breaks down the walls of misunderstanding surrounding neurodiversity, with Izzy providing vibrant insight into her world, her interests, and how she copes with her diagnosis in her everyday life.

From discussing the impact of societal expectations to offering a fresh viewpoint on autism representation in the media, Sarah and Izzy’s narrative is of understanding, and empowerment for parents and professionals individuals navigating similar paths.

Their honest discussions on the importance of finding the right healthcare partners, embracing one’s identity, and fostering a supportive community encapsulate the essence of strength in adversity.

Tune in to be inspired, educated, and moved by their journey, shedding light on the vibrant spectrum of neurodiversity and the special bond between a mother and her daughter.

We give a shout out to Yellow Lady Bugs in this episode and would also like to link to Doctors Without Boarders who are working in the conflict in Gaza

In part two of our special Sweetheart Day episodes with Maddie she is sharing her story of York, who has aortic stenosis, a severe heart condition.

She poignantly recounts the heart-wrenching moment when she and her husband, Josh, had to perform CPR on York, they affirm the profound bond they share with the PICU staff and the exceptional medical team.

Despite the hurdles, York's story radiates hope and resilience, attesting to the strength of the human spirit when faced with the unimaginable.

This episode sends a shoutout to Heart Kids, an Australian charity that supports and advocates for those affected by congenital heart disease.

Heart Kids
PAEDS Education

This episode is part one of two episodes where we have a heartfelt conversation with Maddi, the mother of York, who born with a congenital heart defect known as Aortic Stenosis.

Maddi's recounts her unfathomable journey through York's diagnosis, multiple surgeries, and the struggles of reconciling everyday life with living in the hospital. Maddi gives us a raw, intimate look into the challenges and triumphs of navigating the world of paediatric intensive care.

In honor of Feb 14th, Sweetheart Day, this episode serves as a tribute to little heart warriors and their families, shedding light on their strength, resilience, and the often-underrecognised situations they face. Our charity shout out goes to Heart Kidsy who support families and children with Congenital Heart Disease.

Trigger warning for late term medical abortion and childhood death in this episode.

We talk about a few advanced concepts in this episode, if your interested in finding out more, here are some good places to start...

Aortic Stenosis
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
'ECMO' - Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation or Extra Corporeal Life Support
Ventilation support
'The Oscillator' - High Frequency Oscillation Ventilation