Finalist: Health Innovation Award
The Emergency Care Assessment and Treatment (ECAT) program aims to standardise nurse-initiated care and education to enhance patient and staff experiences across NSW emergency departments (EDs).
More than 300 clinicians and subject matter experts collaborated to develop best practice ECAT protocols, education, implementation and electronic medical record (eMR) materials.
As a result, 73 ECAT protocols are being used in 159 EDs, and are available across rural, regional and metropolitan areas. Since May 2024, more than 800,000 patients have received care under ECAT, and more than 6,000 nurses have enrolled in the education pathway that supports the use of ECAT across NSW.
ECAT has increased overall nursing confidence in nurse-initiated care, with senior nurses reporting that ECAT protocols are robust, practical and have improved safety and governance. The program also reduces system wide duplication and supports consistent education.
Meet the other finalists for the Health Innovation Award.
