Students from Henry Kendall High School will experience first-hand what it is like to be a trauma patient at Gosford Hospital tomorrow.
The P.A.R.T.Y. Program (Prevention of Alcohol and Risk -Related Trauma in Youth) is an intense and emotional learning experience that takes place in the hospital setting with the aim to prevent unnecessary death and injuries in young people.
Gosford Hospital Trauma Clinical Nurse Consultant Peter MacKay said the goal was to change young people’s perspectives on risk-taking behaviour.
“Unfortunately we often see young people coming into our emergency departments who have sustained injuries while out taking risks and not thinking through the consequences,” he said.
“The P.A.R.T.Y. Program brings high school students into a real clinical environment and exposes them to situations that they can’t experience in the classroom.
“We hope bringing them through the hospital and showing them the harsh realities of what can happen when you do something like drinking and driving will mean we don’t ever see them back in here as patients.”
The teenagers are taken around the hospital and exposed to confronting trauma scenarios in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit.
They listen to interactive talks from doctors, nurses, ambulance officers, fire officers, physiotherapists and occupational therapists about trauma rescue, treatment and recovery.
They also hear about the organ donation process and meet with a trauma injury survivor to hear their story.
Mr MacKay said the program wasn’t about telling young people that they can’t have a good time.
“Taking risks is part of growing up and we don’t want young people to stop having fun but we hope that observing real trauma will help them to be more responsible and think about their decisions before they act,” Mr MacKay said.
“It’s about helping them to be more self-aware and make informed choices so they can avoid getting injured, or far worse.”
About the P.A.R.T.Y. Program:
The P.A.R.T.Y. (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth) Program is a one-day injury awareness and prevention program for youth. It aims to reduce death and injury in alcohol, drug and risk-related crashes and incidents.