World-class emergency training comes to AWH Cath Lab
Tuesday, 3 March 2026 / Albury Wodonga Health
In February, Albury Wodonga Health Cath Lab staff took part in specialist emergency training never before delivered in this region, bringing the same level of education typically reserved for Australia’s largest tertiary hospitals to local teams.
The two-day training was delivered by Cardiac Advanced Resuscitation Education (C.A.R.E.), a global provider of advanced cardiac emergency training, and involved 26 staff from the Cath Lab, Anaesthetics and ICU.
While all AWH Cath Lab staff already hold Advanced Life Support credentials, this training goes further, focusing on the highly specialised and high-risk emergency scenarios unique to the Cath Lab environment.
As Cath Lab patients become increasingly complex, including a growing number of STEMI cases, it’s critical that emergency training reflects the real-world situations staff face every day.
Kate Sutton, Nurse Unit Manager, Albury Cardiac Cath Lab & Endovascular, said traditional ward-based scenarios don’t always capture the speed, intensity and technical challenges of emergencies in the Cath Lab.
“This training is a significant step forward for our Cath Lab team,” said Kate. “It reflects the complexity of the patients we care for and the environments we work in every day,” she said.
“Having access to the same level of emergency training as tertiary hospitals, delivered here in our own Cath Lab, strengthens our ability to respond quickly, safely and confidently when it matters most.”
The program included eight online learning modules with assessments, followed by face-to-face theory, hands-on workshops and simulated emergency scenarios conducted within AWH’s Cath Lab. Scenarios included coronary dissection, temporary pacing and cardiac tamponade.
This level of training is especially important in a regional setting. Regional centres tend to have a higher-than-average burden of disease, while working with fewer staff and less immediate backup than metropolitan hospitals. That means regional clinicians don’t just need to meet tertiary standards – they need to be highly skilled, adaptable and ready for anything.
By investing in world-class training locally, AWH continues to strengthen emergency readiness, support staff development, and deliver the highest possible standard of care for the community.