Page 4 - ANZCP Gazette MAY 2014

A
MESSAGE FROM
THE EDITOR by Molly Oldeen, CCP.
I welcome you to my first edition as Editor of the Gazette. It has been a challenging, yet rewarding experience thus far. I acknowledge the fact that I was able to compile this edition in just a few shorts months thanks to the wonderful assistance from the previous editor, Martin Gill, CPP. In addition to the efforts of those before him, he has done an excellent job transforming the Gazette into the print it has become today. I hope to carry on his hard work and dedication to produce a publication that serves as a medium to exchange knowledge and information among members of the College.
As I approach my two-year anniversary, in Australia at the Mater Children’s Hospital in Brisbane, I reflect on the whirlwind of experience. After hundreds of hours studying, I passed both the American and Australian perfusion board exams, in addition to completing our ABCP Autotransfusion Course (which I highly recommend). I have attended many local and international perfusion conferences as well as experienced my first cardiac mission trip with Open Heart International just last month. Now, I have the honour of putting together this publication as Editor. It is no wonder time has flown by.
Lately, I have been reminded on my initial decision to become a perfusionist, one of which I will never regret. We all have our stories of how we stumbled into this unique profession. I want to share an experience we all can relate to on some level, the initial discovery of the heart lung machine, as described by a marvellous colleague of mine.
“The first time I ever stepped into a cardiac surgery operating room, I was overwhelmed by the sheer aura of the environment. The scene began by walking through a clear, glass sliding door and placing my shoe covered feet onto the hard, unblemished rubber floor. The air was cold and clean. For a moment, it felt as though I was transported to foreign planet. The centre of the room was covered in blue clothes and the sight of bare- metal instruments made me second-guess my intentions of observing the procedure. With sweaty palms, I slowly tiptoed my way around the circumference of room. As I passed the anaesthetist’s station, he greeted me with a grim head-nod.
At this time, I was feeling a bit out of place, as most would be when exposed to this new setting. I then rounded the corner of the ventilator and before my heart could pump another erythrocyte, the cardiopulmonary bypass machine mesmerized me. The glistening polyvinylchloride bursting with ruby red serum enthused me as a fifty-foot (15 meter) Western Australian swell does to a sun-bleached surfer. From this point on, the science of perfusion was not only going to be my career but my way of life.”
I encourage you to reflect on your own first exposure and remind yourself what drives you to provide the best care for our patients on a daily basis. Early on, success by honing my perfusion skills and techniques was always the primary motive. Later, I discovered to focus on the individual capabilities is a less significant influence in the global scope of reality. The main reason we, as providers, are involved in healthcare revolves around what lays helplessly under those blue clothes in the operating room.
In order to continue to advance and perfect our techniques to provide the best quality of care, we must maintain publications such as the Gazette to educate one another. It is the combined efforts of the members of the College that make the Gazette such a success in our community. I want to sincerely thank those of you that submitted articles in the limited time frame. I encourage you all to start thinking about articles for future editions. We always need more content. Look to past editions for motivation. Schedule time to meet with your colleagues and brainstorm research or case reports you can share. As a reminder and incentive, we offer two $250 prizes to the best case report and the best free original article.
Thank you for taking the time to read my introduction to the Gazette and I hope you enjoy my first edition. I welcome all suggestions or feedback.
Molly Oldeen
The Gazette Editor
ANZCP
STRUCTURE
The Executive
Jane Ottens - President
Jonathon Cropper - Vice President Matt Sheminant - Secretary Wendy Saad - Treasurer
2 JonVandeBerg-NZRepresentative MAY 2014 | www.anzcp.org
The Board
Clarke Thuys - Chairman Mark Mennen - Secretary Chris Morley - Member Andrew Lahanas - Member CarlaZazulak-Registrar
Sub-Committees
Matt Sheminant - Head of College Registration Alison Horton - Registration Committee
Jane Ottens - Simulation Committee
Tim Wilcox - PIRS Editor