Member Benefit: Bravura Laser Safety Officer (LSO) Education Scholarships

"I was a fortunate recipient of the education scholarship to undertake the LSO course. I live in Broome, Western Australia and with the floods and extensive rains we had over January, I found myself undertaking this course with enthusiasm, and admittedly I have an interest in this field from my years working with lasers in several hospitals around Australia.

Through my vast preoperative experience, my experience allowed me to work with laser in gynaecology and ophthalmology procedures. The operating rooms historically did not have the strong governance as we do today, nor the policies and procedures that influence and guide our practice. Certainly the HSP I was employed with was not robust with the essential requirements of laser safety officers requirements. It was more of a desirable criteria rather than essential.

The current trend for laser is seeing its utilisation in a myriad of medical and cosmetic industries. My interest is in the former. Ensuring wherever laser is used, staff have full comprehension of the nature of the laser they are using and the requirements within the industry to have the appropriate skill set to ensure the patient, the staff and the equipment is meticulously managed when that beam goes into action.

The course was efficient to establish comprehension of lasers, the different types and the importance of laser safety, and certainly digested the role of the LSO within the perioperative department. The LSO title speaks for itself and ingrains the requirements of HSP to ensure an LSO is allocated to a room where a laser is in use. How well this is adopted will no doubt be supported by the latest ACORN policy and will see a culture shift in the HSP responsibilities to ensure this can be achieved.

I am grateful to have this opportunity to attend online studies (particularly as I work in rural WA), and thank ACORN for allowing this to be possible." - Dianne

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