A CQU-led team of expert nurses has recently returned to Australia, overjoyed with the success of their 10-day combat casualty training program for 31 army nurses in the Philippines during April.

Participants in the Military Health Skills Training Project have reported on how enthusiastic and grateful their hosts were throughout the training.

Lydia Mainey and Marc Broadbent help with training

Project representative Jenny Anastasi said the effort showed an intensive in-country project could upskill dozens of nurses in a short time - including on this occasion the President's own personal nurse - whereas scholarships for overseas study may only benefit one or two at a time.

"To be able to share knowledge and skills with these people was a very lovely experience but it was so much more than that," Ms Anastasi said.

"We were able to value-add to what they do and appeciate what they do, but also they value-added to our experiences ... after the first couple of days it really became a 2-way teaching experience ... and I think it's potentially the beginning of a long relationship between the University and the Philippines Armed Forces Nursing Corp because we will now continue to support them.

"There's an ongoing element to it as well with both professional and personal relationships ... there's been some very strong links made between the people who are trying to run and develop new programs. I expect there will be a lot of dialogue continue."

Jennifer Anastasi pictured in The Philippines

Participant Dr Lorna Moxham said the training experience had developed into a family-like experience.

"Nursing is a very global family anyway and these people were so warm and so appreciative for what we were doing we became like one big family," she said.

"It was very heartening for every one of us to be involved."

CQU's Centre for Professional Health Education, within the College of Health & Human Services, attracted funding from Australia's Defence Department to deliver the specialist training to nurses in the Philippines Armed Forces. The initiative was funded as part of the Defence Cooperation Program between the 2 countries.

The team of expert nurses selected to deliver the training comprised project leaders Dr Lorna Moxham and Jenny Anastasi, CQU academic staff Marc Broadbent and Lydia Mainey, expert British Registered Nurse Duncan Bray (recently returned from Iraq), Major Eraine La Galle (Chief Nurse Training Officer with the Australian Army) and Philippine Training Officer Colonel Edmundo Gammad. CQU academic Wendy Maitland had also been integral in the planning and development of the training program but was unable to undertake the trip to Manila.

Dr Lorna Moxham pictured in The Philippines

The training program included:

- frontline combat casualty triage and stabilisation;

- primary management of complex casualties;

- search and rescue training;

- acute mental health in field conditions;

- and emergency response to nuclear, chemical or biological warfare injury.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines are currently engaged in significant and ongoing fighting in the south of the Philippines against rebel insurgents.

The fighting has escalated over the past 2 years and military casualties are high.  Nursing staff need to be trained in front-line management of combat casualties and this training program has been designed to address these specialised needs. 

Participants were enthusiastic