DVD for medical staff

Sunshine Hospital has produced a DVD that teaches medical staff how to help families who have suffered a miscarriage.

Nurse Practitioner in Sunshine Hospital's Emergency Department Debora Webster-Bain and Medical Clinical Educator Dr Sean Fabri co-authored the DVD after developing the concept over a two-year period in collaboration with Registered Nurse Gillian Fawcett and Associate Professor Stephen Lew.

The short film, Precious Ten, takes the form of an educational light drama and was based on Ms Webster-Bain's Masters Degree thesis, which explored more sensitive ways to manage miscarriage.

The DVD was funded by the Department of Health and produced by the Education Resource Centre at The Royal Children's Hospital.

It is now sold to hospitals and health services Australia-wide.

The multidisciplinary project received input from nursing, midwifery, general practice, emergency medicine, obstetrics, ultrasonography, medical education and counselling and support services.

The DVD not only provides clinical information but models good, realistic behaviour from all health professionals involved.

'The way we communicate with patients is something I feel passionately about and I emphasise it in my supervision and teaching of junior doctors,' Dr Fabri said.

'I learnt a lot about miscarriage in the process and what expectant mothers experience.'