Meet our Team
Meet our wonderful team
Bio
RN (B. Nurs), Cert IV TAE, MN (Clin. Prac)
In 15 years of paediatric emergency nursing, Sarah Hunstead has treated children with all kinds of injuries and illnesses. She has also seen countless parents come through the doors of the Children’s Hospital, distraught that they didn’t know how to help their child.
Becoming a mother reinforced to Sarah how valuable her professional experience was. “I realised how lucky my husband and I were – as paediatric nurses, we’d know what to do if anything ever happened to our girls,” she says. “It got me thinking about how wonderful it would be if every parent and carer was armed with that knowledge, and the confidence and security that come with it. I wanted families to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to act quickly and help save their child’s life, rather than feeling powerless should the unimaginable happen.”
Determined to share her knowledge, experience and passion for paediatric care, Sarah founded CPR Kids in 2012. CPR Kids delivers a range of classes taught by experienced clinicians, nurses and midwives, with a focus on hands-on learning and real-life scenarios. From intensive sessions to seasonal refresher courses, each class is tailored to suit participants and address the specific needs of babies, toddlers and older children.
A life. A finger. A pea up a nose.
Sarah’s book A life. A finger. A pea up a nose: a practical guide to baby and child first aid was first published in 2013 and is now in its third edition. The title was inspired by an incident where Sarah’s toddler stashed a pea in her own nostril, in case she got hungry later!
Sarah has a Masters Degree in Clinical Practice, and has held various roles in paediatric emergency departments in Sydney and Melbourne, including Nurse Unit Manager and Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Sarah lives with her husband, two daughters, dog and fish. When she’s not teaching, writing or speaking at events, Sarah likes to explore the bushwalks and beaches of Sydney’s National Parks with her family. Already inspired by the difference their mum is making to so many lives, Sarah’s daughters want to grow up to be doctors, nurses or wildlife warriors.
Bio
From the day my son was born, I started to think about what would happen the day he decided to jump off our fireplace calling out: “Mum, I can fly!” or the day he cut his lip or bumped his head… The list could go on! Knowing that these things can happen in a split second, I armed myself by attending a CPR and First Aid class and instantly felt better prepared in knowing what to do. It’s so important to have the knowledge and skills to act in an emergency situation. It’s something we all should have as it’s such an important tool – as a parent, guardian, carer, grandparent, aunt or uncle. I love working for CPR Kids and hope you enjoy your class with us. I also hope to provide you with an excellent customer service experience!
Bio
BSc (Pysch), Grad Cert (HRM)
As a parent of an active early high school boy, I am constantly aware of the risk of a potential broken arm, head injury or other bump or bruise that might need First Aid attention. CPR Kids gives every parent and carer the confidence to respond calmly, without panicking, when disaster strikes! With my extensive background in Health human resources and an eagerness to show love and support to families, I am immensely proud to be working with CPR Kids to help empower every person, who is responsible for a little snuggly bundle of joy, inquisitive toddler, or rambunctious kidlet, to know what to do!
Bio
BBus
I completed a CPR Kids class with my Mum when my daughter was starting solids and I was returning to work. We both wanted to make sure we knew what to do in the event of choking, and in any emergency situation for that matter.
I instantly loved what CPR Kids offered. The class left me feeling confident and prepared with such an important set of skills and knowledge. Being a part of a company I am passionate about and working to spread the word about what we do is so important to me – I wish I could tell every single person how beneficial it is to know baby and child first aid.
Bio
RN (B. Nurs)
I am a paediatric registered nurse with over a decade of experience, living and working in Sydney with my 2 kids, husband and dog. I am passionate about educating families in the community about the health and safety of their children. Throughout my paediatric nursing career I have worked in a range of fields including haematology/oncology, general medical, surgical, mental health and adolescents.
Currently, as the education manager at CPR Kids, I take pride in delivering high quality, evidenced based education to the CPR Kids nursing team, hospitals and the community. Throughout my time at CPR Kids I have developed a special interest and passion for educating adults and have put in over 5000 hours into studying adult learning and the best teaching techniques to apply to the CPR Kids education setting.
Bio
MSc, Community Specialist Practitioner (Community Children’s Nursing). BSc, (Hons), Child Health Nursing. Dip, Nursing Child Health Branch
I am a registered paediatric nurse with over 20 years paediatric nursing experience working in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. I have worked in a wide range of paediatric specialities including general medicine, medical specialities, palliative care, nephrology and school nursing within the hospital, community, hospice and school settings. I am the mother to two very cheeky young children – an accident prone 8 year old boy and a fearless 6 year old little girl. Life is more than a little hectic! I am a keen paddler and active member of canoe clubs, competing in outrigger regattas throughout NSW as well as further afield. If I wasn’t a nurse, and had slightly better sea legs, I would follow another passion and work as a scuba diving instructor. Sharing your knowledge and passion with others allows you the privilege of seeing the difference this newly acquired knowledge and skill can make to a person. Through my work as a paediatric nurse, my role as a mother, an auntie and friend I have experienced first hand the devastating effects accidents can have on children and their families and how quickly things can change. I want to be part of this journey and help prevent accidents occurring in the first place whilst arming parents and carers with the skills to safely and confidently manage situations. Knowledge is key and I’m excited to be sharing my knowledge and experiences with others.
Bio
RN. BHlthSci. Grad. Cert Paediatric Intensive Care. Grad Cert. Certificate Midwifery
I have over 20 years of nursing and midwifery experience both in NSW and Victorian hospitals. I have worked in various nursing fields including, midwifery, community nursing and Dermatology nursing. I also worked as an intensive care nurse at a leading Children’s Hospital and during this time I completed my paediatric intensive care certification. I hold a graduate certificate, and previously practiced, in midwifery. Since having 3 children (now 16, 17 and 19) my biggest achievement has been surviving motherhood and keeping my kids relatively safe (more good luck than good management perhaps). I am a dedicated surf lifesaver and I love teaching people their Bronze Medallion and competing in various masters events, and most of all I love the people I meet. Parents and carers often don’t back themselves and realise how much knowledge they actually have. I believe that as parents we should trust our instincts more. Prevention is always key but even with the best intentions your kids and other peoples kids can still become unwell or get injured. Knowing what to do might be the difference between an amusing story told later or a devastating hospital admission or worse. That’s why I love teaching first aid and CPR to empower people and give them an improved level of their own instinctive skills. I enjoy seeing people go from “oh my goodness I couldn’t cope – to ‘this isn’t so hard when you understand why’.
Bio
RN (B. Nurs), Grad Cert. Clinical Nursing
I am a paediatric registered nurse with a background working in emergency nursing across regional and rural locations in Queensland. I have seen first-hand both the positive and negative outcome for all levels of resuscitation. Particularly how prompt and effective CPR can make all the difference.
Whilst I am not a mother yet, I have been surrounded by friends and family raising their children. Accidents and illnesses happen daily without control. I am passionate about empowering and supporting families to provide them the confidence to recognise and respond to a child’s needs with effective first aid.
Bio
RN (B. Nurs)
I have been working in healthcare for over 15 years with paediatric nursing experience in Australia, the UK and the developing world. As a Registered Paediatric Nurse, I have spent most of my career working in the neonatal intensive care setting. I love the challenges of the ICU environment but by far the best part is sending babies home with their families. I think it is so important to equip parents with the knowledge and confidence to keep their kids safe at home. As a mum of three myself I know how challenging and scary that can be sometimes!
Bio
RN (B. Nurs), Grad Cert (Nursing in Neonatal Intensive Care), Grad Cert (Child and Family Health Nursing)
I started my nursing journey in a surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Perth for 6 years and paediatric Intensive Care Unit when I moved to Sydney 7 years ago. Where I worked for 4 years until I fell pregnant with my first child, I now have a little boy and a little girl.
It was in PICU where I saw so many injuries and close calls in children, I decided to leave and study a graduate cert in Child and Family Health Nursing where I have been working for the last 3-4 years now whilst also teaching antenatal education in parenting.
My passion for educating parents started back in the NICU and has grown to where I am professionally now. I enjoy educating within the gestational phase within the parenting journey. I love teaching parents how to see their children through their own upbringing. I feel the most important thing is empowering and teaching families how to think confidently and clearly in a life saving situation.
Bio
RN (B. Nurs)
I have been a paediatric nurse for 15 years. I have worked across a variety of settings and specialties, caring for newborns, infants, children and adolescents. I absolutely love being a paediatric nurse – I moved away from my home on a farm in rural Tasmania to the big city of Sydney to pursue my dream of working in a dedicated children’s hospital and have remained in paediatric nursing ever since!
Growing up in a rural setting taught me the vital importance of first aid and CPR training due to distance and limited availability of services. In my nursing role, I regularly witness the impact that an emergency situation involving a child can have on parents and carers. As a mother, I have also experienced first-hand the profound emotional effects both during and after accidents and emergencies. These experiences have lead to my desire to help parents and carers learn skills and techniques in CPR and first aid.
CPR Kids classes provide the most up-to-date, evidence based education which will ensure that parents and carers feel confident and empowered in any emergency and first-aid situations. I am thrilled to be working with CPR Kids and being part of a team who are dedicated and committed to helping parents and carers learn these essential skills in a friendly, supportive and caring environment.
Bio
RN and Midwife
I have over 37 years of Nursing experience in a variety of areas including Intensive care, Cardiac, Midwifery, Neonatal Intensive Care, Paediatrics and Education with both students and members of the community. I currently work across all areas of Midwifery and in education at a leading Sydney Hospital. More importantly I am a mother of two with over 25 years of experience in the field of parenthood. This by far is my greatest asset. Let me tell you, it was the steepest learning curve ever! more like a trajectory. They are now reasonably unscathed healthy young adults. Yay !!! I don’t think anyone or anything can ever prepare you for the fears and challenges of parenthood and the mischief they can get up too. My son was inquisitive and fearless, with absolutely no sense of danger. We called him the unguided missile and my husband and I quite literally needed eyes in the back of our head. Needless to say there were brakes, slings, stitches, a few hospital admissions and even a Helicopter Rescue. Even the most vigilant parents can get caught out, but if you arm yourselves with the knowledge and skills necessary to rise to any occasion you can dramatically decrease the chances of a tragic outcome. My daughter on the other hand spent most of her young life wrapped around my leg which bought with it its own set of challenges, luckily none requiring first aid. I am passionate about educating parents by sharing my knowledge and experiences and empowering them with the skills and confidence to respond calmly to any child in an emergency and help keep our precious little ones safe.
Bio
RN (Dip. Children’s Nursing) Grad Cert (Children’s Intensive Care)
I have been a paediatric critical care nurse for over 10 years working in intensive care units and emergency departments. I have seen both positive and negative outcomes of varying levels of resuscitation. I work for CPR Kids as I share the same passion and beliefs that everyone should be able to perform basic life support to a child. I have a young family and value the reassurance that if illness or injury were to occur, people would feel empowered and able to recognise and respond confidently.
Bio
RN (B. Nurs)
I began my career as a paediatric nurse 17 years ago at a major children’s hospital, working in various acute settings before settling into the speciality of Paediatric Endocrinology. For the last 12 years, I have cared for children with Endocrine Disorders with 9 years’ experience as a Paediatric Diabetes Clinical Nurse Consultant.
Becoming a mum to my first, of 3 gorgeous children, sparked my interest in CPR and First Aid education, and – after joining the CPR Kids team – have enjoyed every minute since. Teaching families and carers how to keep their kids safe is a passion of mine and translates well into my work as a Paediatric Diabetes Clinical Nurse where I provide families and carers of children with diabetes, the knowledge and skills to keep safe whilst living their best possible lives.
Bio
RN (B. Nursing), MClinNg
I have been a paediatric nurse for over nine years working in the Operating Theatre at a major children’s hospital. My job is to assist doctors in surgery and to help care for patients during their surgical journey. I have seen, firsthand, the serious injuries that can occur from accidents in children.
I work for CPR Kids as I have the belief that knowledge is power. Basic life support and first aid training can potentially save a little life and help you manage illness and injuries. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and skills with you, so you can feel confident to recognise and respond if illness or injury were to occur
Bio
RN (Grad Cert in Paediatric Nursing)
I have been working as a paediatric nurse for six years in both the private and public sector in Melbourne and Brisbane. I have worked across many specialties including Oncology, Medical, Surgical, Neurology, Adolescents, Special Care Nursery and the Emergency Department. My experience as a paediatric nurse has allowed me to see first hand the positive outcome that knowing effective CPR can do in an emergency involving an infant or child. Whilst I do not yet have kids of my own, I am constantly around my friends and family who are raising their own children. No matter how hard we try to prevent accidents, they do happen. I have joined the CPR Kids team as I am extremely passionate about empowering others to have the confidence and capability to recognise and respond to a child within an emergency situation.
Bio
RN (B. Nurs)
I am a Registered Nurse working in the Intensive Care Unit at one of Sydney’s major paediatric hospitals.
Becoming a mum has truly made me appreciate the value in having CPR and first aid skills. Having this knowledge is life changing and lifesaving! It is undoubtedly vital in order to calmly and effectively handle any situation that may be thrown your way. With CPR Kids, I hope to educate and empower caregivers and people in the community to enable the very best possible outcomes for all our kids.
Bio
RN (B. Nurs)
I have been a Registered Nurse for decades working in Paediatric and Adult areas across many Specialties in various settings. The role of a Nurse is incredibly rewarding and stimulating and I feel privileged to have entered the profession at a time when you just about experience everything.
Being the parent of two adult children has added to my bank of knowledge through every stage of development including some rather challenging times. And of course, I continue to learn from them.
The CPR kids team is just a joy to be a part of and I look forward to meeting you, hearing your stories, and sharing some of mine.
Bio
RN (B. Nurs)
As a 5 yr old little girl playing ‘doctors and nurses’ with my array of Cabbage Patch dolls aka my paediatric patients, I always knew that I wanted to be a Nurse!
Paediatric nursing is the most fulfilling and at times incredibly challenging profession, but I absolutely love it. I have been a Paediatric Nurse now for 16 years, working on a very busy Surgical & Orthopaedic Ward at one of Sydney’s large paediatric Hospitals, then moving to London to broaden my horizons and challenge myself Nursing wise. It is in London that I not only was able to work as a High Dependency Surgical Nurse at a hospital that overlooked Big Ben and the London Eye (so spoilt), but it is where I met my husband and where my now 4yr son Austin was born.
My experience as mum of 3 has shown me how quickly and effortlessly children can get into mischief, with mischief being my 2 yr old daughter’s middle name. She is fearless and adventurous, so having the skills to calmly and effectively respond to her when she has got herself into trouble has been lifesaving. I consider it an absolute privilege to be part of the CPR Kids team, as it enables me to educate and empower parents and carers to recognise and respond calmly and confidently if ever faced with an emergency situation involving the little ones they love the most. How amazing and important is that!
Bio
RN (B. Nurs)
I started as a paediatric nurse over 14 years ago and fell in love with emergency nursing at a children’s hospital in Sydney. My years there had allowed myself to expand my nursing knowledge and work in a number of different roles caring for children.
As a Clinical Nurse Specialist I developed a passion for teaching and knew that informing, encouraging and supporting children, parents/care givers and other health care workers was my calling.
As a mother of a very active boy I understand how children get themselves into trouble. I believe sharing my experience to families will help them navigate their child’s journey through childhood.
Bio
RN (B. Nurs), Grad Dip. in Midwifery, Grad Cert. in Clinical Nursing (Child and Adolescent Health)
I absolutely love being a Paediatric Registered Nurse, and I have worked on a busy Medical / Surgical Children’s ward as both a RN and Clinical Nurse Educator in a private hospital in Brisbane for the last 16 years. I’m also proudly a Midwife with a special passion for working in caesarean births, postnatal care, and special care nursery. Along with my paediatric ward work, I currently work as the on-site Child Health Nurse at one of Brisbane’s most renowned Childcares.
Most recently- I’m also a Mum! I have 2 beautiful boys, Hudson (6) and Finley (3) who certainly keep me on my toes, and with having 2 boys I am anxiously anticipating many a trip to the emergency department in the future!
My experience as a Mum has shown me how incredibly quickly children can get themselves into mischief; and my experience as a paediatric nurse has allowed me to see first hand the huge difference that immediately knowing what to do in an emergency involving a child can make to a good outcome. I am so excited to be working for CPR Kids as it gives me the opportunity to educate and empower all adults caring for a child with the knowledge and skills to save their child’s (or someone else’s!) life- and nothing is more important than that.
Bio
RN (B.Nurs), Grad Certificate Paediatric Critical Care, Grad Certificate Neonatal Intensive Care, Graduate Diploma Child and Health, MN (Clinical Leadership)
I am a registered nurse with over 20 years’ experience in paediatric and neonatal intensive care. Many parents don’t know what to do when their child is sick or injured. Knowing what to do and having the confidence to respond can make all the difference. I am also a mother to two teenage boys. With two adventurous, unpredictable boys who have no fear, I have had to put my first aid skills to the test many times. I have learnt that children are unpredictable and things can change in an instant. Knowledge is the key. Working with CPR Kids allows me to share my knowledge and experience with families. It allows me to empower families with knowledge and skills so they can recognise and respond to their sick or injured child calmly and with confidence.
Bio
RN (B. Nurs)
Bio
RN (B. Nurs)
I am a paediatric registered nurse with over a decade of experience in Paediatric intensive care unit. While working in PICU, I take pride in delivering high standard quality care with evidenced based practices. I have done my master’s in clinical nursing with paediatric as my specialty and recently attained Certificate IV degree in training and assessment for my special interest and
passion about educating families in the community about quality, health and safety. I work in telehealth nursing in Sydney Children’s Hospital, where I use technology to treat my patients by giving them advices and by empowering parents to look after their kids and to be kept safe at home while avoiding hospital admission, if they do not require it.
Recently, I have helped a choking baby to recover back to normal self who was in telehealth consultation for different presenting complaint. The parents were overwhelmed and grateful and seeing joy in their eyes, I wish to continue helping and empowering families by giving them the required education and confidence.
Bio
RN (B.Nurs)
I have been a registered nurse for over 10 years with the last 7 years mostly in Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care in one of the children’s hospitals in Sydney.
I have seen a lot over those years, and know that it can take just a second or minute for something to wrong and an immediate response can change the course of the outcome. I personally am lucky to be a nurse and have the knowledge to know how to recognise and respond to emergencies.
My goal is to offer that knowledge and experience, and share what I know to empower parents and carers to feel confident that they would know what to do and who to turn to if ever faced with an emergency with their young ones.
Bio
RN (B. Nurs)
I am a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Clinical Nurse Educator in the Operating Theatres, Anaesthetics and Recovery, in one of Sydney’s paediatric hospitals. I absolutely love being a paediatric nurse! I truly have a passion for working in partnership with vulnerable children and their families in reaching optimal patient care during their surgical journey. Most importantly, I am a full-time mummy to a cheeky, almost 12-month-old rascal who keeps me on my toes! Recently becoming a mum made me realise how blessed I am to have the clinical knowledge and skills under my belt, enabling me to spring into action when my son gets himself into a sticky situation. Now more than ever, I am passionate about empowering families through teaching and sharing my experience as a mum and a nurse, to confidently recognise and respond to their children when they are sick or injured.
When I am not working as a nurse, I love to bake and cook for my family. I am nearing completion of my Post-Graduate Masters of Advanced Nursing in Education and Paediatric Nursing.
I can’t wait to meet you and share my knowledge, love and passion.
Bio
RN (B Nurs). Grad Cert. Critical Care (Emergency). Cert IV Training and Assessment
I have 20 years nursing experience in a variety of settings including medical, surgical, palliative, emergency and school nursing. I am a mum of two very active, sport-loving boys. We are always on the go! In my spare time, I love reading and am part of a book club, love watching tennis and eating out with friends and family. Since the dawn of time, babies and children have been inquisitive and adventurous. No matter what precautions we take, there will be occasions when they reach for that small object that looks tasty, fall, get stung or run toward that pool. Fear and panic create a barrier and stop us performing under pressure. I am passionate that at CPR Kids we empower and equip caregivers of children so they can react and calmly provide appropriate care to a baby or child in need. My most important piece of advice for parents and carers is arm yourself with theoretical and practical knowledge so you can spring into action at a moment’s notice. We should all have the opportunity to learn CPR and First Aid. They are essential life skills for any parent, grandparent or caregiver.
Bio
RN (B.Nurs)
I am a paediatric Registered Nurse with over 20years experience working in one of the major Sydney Children’s Hospitals. I have worked across multiple specialities including Neurology, Adolescents, Paediatric Intensive care, Neonatal Intensive Care and the Emergency department.
Also keeping me busy are my 4 active kids who love the outdoors and have put me through my paces with first-aid and trips to the Emergency department! As a family we love walking the dog on the beach, mountain bike riding and kayaking. I love my job with CPR Kids as I believe all parents, carers and grandparents should have access to the knowledge and skills needed to provide CPR and first-aid to their sick or injured child.
Bio
RN (B Nurs), Grad Cert in Paediatric Nursing
I am a Registered Nurse with nearly 10-year experience working in paediatric medical, surgical, emergency, neonatal and immunisation nursing in varies roles, including as a paediatric clinical nurse educator. Currently I work in the general paediatric ward at a busy tertiary trauma units in Sydney as a paediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist and a paediatric Diabetes RN.
Most importantly, I am a mum of two adventurous toddler girls, who have had numerous medical issues and hospitalisations over the years and give all the boys a run for their money on the number of bumps and bruises they have sustained.
I came on board with CPR kids as I am passionate about empowering as many parents and carers out there with lifesaving knowledge and skills. My advice to parents is simple. The best gift a parent, grandparent or carer can given to their child is being prepared; so, if the unpredictable occurs you can calmly and with confidence spring into action.