The year has been a difficult year for Deirdre. After returning from the meeting in Chicago where she co presented with me, she has suffered both personal loss and also several months of illness that required hospitalisation. We are glad to see her back on her feet and slowly recovering.

Medtronic held a study day on the 27th February. That was very well attended and successful. The 2010 National Conference will be held in March at Darling Harbour and I would like to take this opportunity to ask any member who lives in Sydney and would like to be apart of our National meeting too get inn touch with myself or Deidre. Plans are already underway and many hands make light work.

Tracey Nicholls on behalf of Deirdre Smith. NSW Chapter Co-ordinator

Co-ordination of the Queensland chapter of the group began in earnest at the Cadaver Dissection course held at the University of Queensland on the 20th and 21st June. It was with great pleasure that I met many potential new group members and established relationships with clinicians, company reps and nursing colleagues.
The course was extremely interesting from an anatomical perspective with text books coming to life (padon the pun) before our very eyes.

The dissectors were happy to have many spectators and were joyous when identifying landmarks and structures that had been highlighted in the lecture sessions. Gordon Lonie (CNC) from PAH delivered a lecture on tracheostomy care and nursing management of a pharyngolaryngectomy patient. One of the PA registrars performed a tracheostomy on a cadaver which allowed the nurses a chance to perform trachy tube changes and tube manipulations in a "stress free" environment.

An ENT education session was held at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in September. Dr Raefe Gundelach kindly delivered an interesting lecture complete with gory pictures, anatomical diagrams and the meeting was attended by a patient who had undergone a laryngectomy two weeks earlier and had had a voice prosthesis sited only that day. He proudly and happily demonstrated his new voice to the audience.

It was a great opportunity for the student nurses and newly graduated RNs present to witness the mechanism involved in voice restoration and to appreciate the independence having a voice would give to this delightful man. Many thanks to Raefe for so generously giving his time to the OHNNG and to Kate and Darren from Medtronic for their support of the event and to Karen and Brooke from Karl-Storz for demonstrating their support of the OHNNG by attending the session.

Gordon Lonie ENT CNC has run Two Head and Neck workshop at PAH which is always well attended and by all reports “ a great day”. There are several courses being hosted in Brisbane, - Post laryngectomy voice rehabilitation, Qld Skull Base Unit, and the Head and Neck Cadaver Dissection course – details of these courses are available at the OHNNG website.

I hope to organize more sessions and would love to see all ENT nurses nurses come along. I am also anticipating a fantastic and fun Gold Coast meeting ...

Cheryl Kelly
Queensland Chapter Co-ordinator

Early in the year our OHNNG president was contacted by one of the local nursing agencies, NASANSB, to enquire if there would be any chance in hosting some training sessions for their agency nurses in the “care of patients with tracheostomies”. Given that this is my specialty and something very dear to my heart, I took on the challenge. Together with OHNNG long-term member Helen Prisk ENT CNC at the Royal Adelaide Hospital we have hosted two Tracheostomy workshops, these have been really successful with more scheduled for the future.

We have also held two educational sessions this year. The first “FESS made Functional” workshop was on the 11th December 2008 at the new Medtronic Headquarters Greenhill road Unley. The decision to hold an “educational session” was made very quickly to be able to squeeze one in before the end of the year. Given that we gave everyone just two weeks notice and only two weeks out from Christmas I was amazed at the response. We had 32 delegates turn up on the night with over 50 responses saying that they would come if they had more notice.

Dr Alkis Psaltis gave us a great session on the anatomy of the nose and sinuses and the steps that combine to complete a full house FESS. Our president went through instruments and trolley set up for these procedures. Feedback from this evening was very positive with everyone saying they a gotten so much out of the evening and would like more of these sessions. The next session, on the 26th March was also held at Medtronic's headquarters and was given by Dr David Wabnitz.

The topic “Ear today Deaf tomorrow” all you need to know about your ears and hearing, was very successful night with delegates indicating that they would love more of these sessions. Ongoing sessions are currently being planned and in October the ever-popular 12TH Advanced Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Course at the Medical School, Frome Road, Adelaide will be held. Keep checking the website for updates...

Silvia O'Connor
SA Chapter Coordinator

Medtronic hosted a great Peri-operative Nurses Education Day at their offices on 12th September. We started off with a welcome from Anna Ferraro after a heart starting coffee then listened to Lana Tutin presenting on FESS.

Lana’s presentations are always interesting, and this one was no exception, giving a very clear look at FESS, with the anatomy, physiology, instrumentation and equipment involved in this type of surgery, clearly explained. Richard Barnes, an anaesthetist from Southern Health followed with “Difficult Intubations”, concentrating on the special airway issues for ENT surgery. Richard is always easy to listen to, and manages to convey some of his vast knowledge of some very specialised practices across to any audience.

After a lovely morning tea we were back and treated to a presentation on the Middle Ear, its structure, function, diseases and treatment delivered by Sheryl Wagstaff, ENT Surgeon of Eastern Health. Annie Martin followed with a look at Endoscopic Transphenoidal procedures which have opened up (figuratively) a better access for some pituitary tumour excisions. It was fascinating to hear about how the Navigation systems now in place are improving this type of surgery more and more, resulting in better diagnosis and location of tumours, less invasive surgery, more complete removal of tumour tissue, less damage to healthy tissue and a better recovery.

Natalie Cicchini, of Monash Moorabbin and Adam Borham of Medtronic, then demonstrated the set up and calibration of the Navigation system, with Adam manfully explaining just ‘how it all works’. It seems amazing that, possibly all delegates that attended the education day will soon have this technology, which will, one day, seem as “routine” as setting up for a FESS.

We were then treated to a display and presentation of Medtronic products, which seem to become more advanced at every meeting. This presentation was again valuable for those just starting in the FESS field, who were more clearly able to identify and sort out their needs with the clear explanation provided.

I then finished off the day with a brief presentation on the OHNNG, with the new power point . Did I say brief? I don’t know what happened but the timing of the slide show, which I hadn’t noticed was on chipmunk speed!

We all had a laugh at me trying to keep up, but it didn’t matter as the message got across that it is a great group to belong to. Hopefully the membership application forms handed out will bear fruit and we will add to our group.

On that note, I am again changing jobs and will have even less contact with ENT nurses on a regular basis. I will stay a member, and will stay on as Vic-Coordinator if required, to help organise meetings, seminars and the conference in 2011 but would welcome any proactive input from any out there, perhaps on a job share basis? I have started at Holmesglen, educating the new Division 2 nurses. So I invite anyone who has a real interest in becoming Vic Co-ordinator put your hand up. Of course, if anyone has a burning desire to take over completely, I am happy to get out of the way and remain a happy member.

Karen Stilo
Victorian Chapter Co-ordinator

WA has continued to make progress over the 2008-2009 period. We have continued to have our quarterly meetings held at SCGH. Most of last years presentations were given by the Trainee registrars. All have been extremely interesting. Everyone has benefited greatly and gained new knowledge. It has also built up a better professional relationships across the speciality especially with the registrars as attendees are from across all hospital sites.

As well as the quarterly meetings we have held going education seminars. We have been working with Fisher Paykel and have run 2 half-day sessions on the importance of humidification. We have been doing this for the last 4 years. This had bought a greater understanding of humidification to all here at Charlies.

If any one that would like information on when these sessions are being held please contact me. These sessions have drawn in new graduates, ward staff, physiotherapist’s and nurses from critical care areas.

Feedback from the national has been very positive and the meeting has returned a positive balance of around $8,000.00.

One thing we are looking forward to this year is the National conference. We hope that you will all enjoy this conference and you leave with new knowledge and new friends.
Wishing you all the best.

Leanne Simpson
WA Chapter Coordinator