Busy summer for Rottnest Island Nursing Post
While most of us heading over to Rottnest are looking forward to some ‘R&R’ at one of our favourite summer holiday hotspots, that’s when the team at the Rottnest Island Nursing Post (RINP) is at its busiest.
With an increased number of visitors over the warmer months, comes an increased need for emergency medical assistance.
From 1 December 2024 to 31 January 2025, the clinical team at RINP treated 808 patients who required care for a variety of illnesses and injuries.
Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) RINP Clinical Nurse Specialist, Denise Smith, said it was a significant number of emergency presentations for a two-month period.
“While we’ve been as busy as we were this time last year with 185 patient retrievals via nurse led ambulance service. We’ve seen patients whose injuries have been more clinically complex this summer,” Denise said.
“This meant 30 of our patients required emergency evacuation via Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) or the RAC Rescue helicopter to tertiary hospitals for definitive care,” Denise said.
“A majority of those patients had sustained very serious push bike injuries which included extensive facial damage and traumatic head injuries.
“With a number of public holidays over the festive break and then a long weekend for Australia Day, we also saw an increase in alcohol related presentations.”
During this time, the RINP staff were also among the first responders to the seaplane crash in January that tragically claimed the lives of two passengers on board and the pilot.
Four nurses and an emergency department physician were on shift at RINP at the time of the crash and formed part of a multiagency emergency response.
“We all worked together to provide the best clinical care to those involved in the crash during what was a very challenging and traumatic time,” Denise said.
“Given the tragic circumstances, it did impact us on a personal level but as a team we all supported each other along with the post incident support we received from FSH on a wider level.
“The island community here is very close and we’re lucky that we get to see some patients and their families after we’ve treated them – everyone is very grateful for not only the care they’ve received but also the empathy we’ve shown them.”
One patient who took the time to thank the team was David Robinson. The 63-year-old was surfing solo near Strickland Bay when he hit his head on the reef.
“I was bleeding heavily when I resurfaced and was nauseous and had blurred vision – I’m really lucky I wasn’t knocked unconscious,” David said.
“After contacting the Nursing Post, the nurses arrived to pick me up from my boat, they dressed my head wound then made sure I was safely transferred from the island via RFDS to FSH.
“They saved my life and I’ll be forever grateful.”
From surfers to swimmers, there’s no rest for the RINP team as they prepare to provide emergency medical assistance during the Rottnest Channel Swim this weekend.
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