Nursing grads identify sustainable solutions

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Three registered nurses in Queensland Government uniforms stand in front of a First Nations artwork and informational posters.
Nurses Tea Henrea, Kate Wills, and Negar Masoumi

Nurses Tea Henrea, Kate Wills, and Negar Masoumi also competed in the Insight grand final showcasing a sustainability initiative aimed at making a positive impact on the environment.

‘Sustainable Solution, Controlled Costs, Optimised Stocks: Shaping a Greener Future’ took a deep dive into the environmental impact of Metro South Health, revealing opportunities to reduce waste and the use of single use plastics. 

Speaking on behalf of the group, Tea said they were able to achieve a 68 per cent decrease in unnecessary kidney dish and injection tray usage, preventing 2300 single-use plastic medication cups from entering landfill. 

“We implemented reusable medication baskets to facilitate a connection between the patient’s bedside drawer and the medication room and explored alternative stock choices for the wards resulting in diverse benefits,” she said.

“This proved helpful in the management of the substantial volume of medication that some patients require and reduced the risk of medication errors by consolidating all medications into one basket for easier oversight.”

The group said through countless hours of stock evaluation support and collaboration with staff, and the trial of new products, they were able to successfully implement the initiative.

Moving forward, Tea said they would like to see the initiative implemented across Metro South for broader impact. 

“Our aspiration is for every ward to proactively initiate changes benefiting the environment and positively impacting the budget which in turn enables us to enhance services for the community,” she said. 

“Our team is proactive, and the perspective of new nurses brings a fresh outlook, offering innovative ways to approach our work.”