First Aid Update

Meet Our School Nurse!

About Prue:

Prue Smith has been in nursing for 43 years, working in many different types of nursing including surgical and paediatric nursing. Outside of Australia, Prue has had the opportunity to set up health clinics in Cairo, where she ran  seminars and learning spaces for mothers on raising children as single parent, as well as sexual health education sessions. She also worked in international and refugee schools in Cairo, where she was able to learn about how different cultures approach and understand health and public/cultural health and how cultures differ in what they require. Additionally, Prue has worked with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), in Nurse Education, has mentored nursing students with the Queensland University of Technology and worked in Nurse Education at the Austin Hospital for 9 years. Before coming to HPSC, Prue worked in personnel management with an Aid Development organisation. Her hobbies include watching international films, eating middle eastern food, reading, and of course spending time with her beautiful grandchildren. 

At HPSC:

Prue has worked in schools for 5 years, and started at Hampton Park at the beginning of 2021. In her role here at HPSC, she has managed the first aid room, run Anaphylaxis training, CPR and First Aid courses for staff, and managed the vaccination program in partnership with Casey Council Immunization Team. She has been involved in both public health and respectful relationship information sessions for students, and managed the profiles of students with severe allergies. 

Prue's favourite things about working at HPSC are the different personalities that she encounters every day, as well as the chance to watch the students grow in maturity and togetherness. While being a part of the COVID-19 response team has been challenging, it has also been both education and interesting form a public health perspective, and has introduced new skills and knowledge for all involved. Finally, being a part of the HPSC community, getting to know the families and carers of students and seeing their resilience and strength of character has been inspiring and heart warming. 

COVID-19 Response:

Throughout 2021, Prue has been continuously communicating with families and students about requirements for testing, isolating and returning to school. She has been a large part of the reason that our school has been able to have so many students return to school and making the contact tracing and isolating processes as efficient as possible. 

Some health news and updates from Prue:

• CPR training occurred at the end of October with over 40 staff members taking part.
• Yr 7 HPV Vaccinations took place on Tuesday 16th November, and we were able to administer the 2nd dose of the HPV vaccine to over 100 students.
• Diabetes training – All staff have completed their level 1 training and a cohort of staff will complete level 2 before the end of term 4.
• 8 specialist staff will receive level 3 training to give the best care possible to our 4 Type 1 Diabetic students. This training is run by Monash Medical Centre Diabetic Education Unit and will take place in the last week of term 4.  
• First Aid Training will be happening in the last week of term 4, with 37 staff participating.
• The Smile Squad is scheduled to visit in 2022
• The Doctors in Schools Program will commence at HPSC in 2022

Prue Smith,

December 2021