Mater Hospitals

Mater Mothers' Hospital is one of three hospitals for non-insured patients administered by Mater Health Services. Established in 1910 by the Sisters of Mercy and within 10 minutes of Brisbane's city centre, the hospitals consist of Children's, Mothers' and Adult. Mater Children's Hospital is linked to Mater Mothers' Hospital by 2 walkways.

Division of Neonatology, Mater Mothers' Hospital

Mater Mothers' Hospital is a university affiliated teaching hospital with a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, consisting of 20 intensive care cots and 40 special care cots and has a daily occupancy of 52 babies. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a regional referral centre for at-risk fetuses and newborn infants from South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales. The hospital has approximately 7200 births per annum (3800 public). Neonatal Medical Staff include a Director of Neonatology, three staff Neonatologists, two visiting Neonatal Paediatricians, one Senior Neonatal Registrar, seven Registrars and one Paediatric SHO.

Clinical Training Program

Perinatology

The perinatology component of the Clinical Training Program deals with the following:

• major physical adjustments in pregnancy, common disease states associated with pregnancy, and risk factors which identify the high risk pregnancy
• clinical diagnostic tools for the evaluation of the progress of pregnancy (endocrine tests, ultrasound, amniocentesis)
• fetal diagnosis and management, especially dysmorphology
• consultations with obstetricians regarding management of high risk pregnancies and counselling of parents
• collecting and evaluating data on perinatal mortality and morbidity.

Neonatology

The training program in neonatal/perinatal medicine provides:

• clinical and investigative experience in understanding both normal and abnormal aspects of neonatal growth and development
• experience in the diagnosis and management of neonatal disorders affecting cardio-respiratory, neurological, haematological, metabolic, endocrine, renal and gastrointestinal systems
• management of the critically ill newborn infant, including techniques of resuscitation, ventilator support, high frequency oscillatory ventilation, nitric oxide therapy, continuous monitoring, temperature control, nutritional support, and general principles of critical care
• experience in transport of sick newborns and a full understanding of the principles and practice or regionalisation of perinatal care, including transfer of high risk pregnancies to appropriate centres
• understanding of nutrition and its impact on neonatal development, and competence in parenteral nutrition techniques
• routine nursery management experience, with emphasis on parental counselling and psychosocial aspects of maternal-child-family interaction which includes discharge planning and contact with community support services
• experience in acute crisis counselling and in the psychological and ethical aspects of perinatal care
• experience in the administration of a nursery, including the organisation of regionalised care, nursing staff, infection control and environmental safety
• experience in the use and evaluation of the biomedical equipment used in Neonatal intensive care nursery
• an opportunity for the trainee to establish regular contacts with other Level Three Units through attendance at rounds, and clinical and research meetings.

Education

The Clinical Training Program provides various education opportunities including:

• participation in joint educational programs with obstetricians and paediatricians
• involvement in the teaching of medical students, residents, registrars and nursing staff in aspects of well and sick newborn care
• participation in the instruction of postgraduate students in the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing Course at Mater Mothers' Hospital
• access to appropriate electronic information databases to obtain up to date information
• access to CRS database for outputs relevant to clinical meetings
• utilisation of existing resources in pursuit of practice of evidence-based medicine.

Post Graduate Meetings

The trainee is expected to present on preselected topics at Post Graduate Meetings, including the:

• Neonatal Journal Club (weekly)
• Neonatal Grand Rounds (monthly)
• Paediatric Grand Rounds (weekly)
• Obstetric / Gynaecology / Neonatology Meeting (weekly)
• Perinatal Meeting (weekly)
• Perinatal Mortality Meetings (weekly / quarterly)
• Fetal Dysmorphology (weekly).

Research

The Clinical Training Program provides various research opportunities including:

• training in research design, data collection, datal analysis and interpretation of data
• preparation, submission and publication of the data in a peer review journal or presentation of the data at major scientific meetings
• familiarity with the ethical issues surrounding research in man and the operation of human research committees
• understanding of the meaning of consent and the implications and responsibilities assumed by the investigation.