Sarah Hunstead

Sarah Hunstead
Mother, Paediatric Nurse, Author, CPR Kids Director & Founder
RN (B. Nurs), Cert IV TAE, MN (Clin. Prac)

Becoming a parent helped Sarah Hunstead to realise just how valuable her 15 years of paediatric emergency nursing really was. The confidence and security that comes from knowing how to help your child – or any child – in the event of an emergency was something she wanted to share with parents everywhere, and from there the CPR Kids vision was born…

“I got home from work one cold, winter’s evening and crept into our two beautiful girls’ room to give them that obligatory last goodnight kiss. It dawned me at that moment that my husband and I were lucky; as paediatric nurses we’d know just what to do if something were to ever happen to our girls.

“But, most people aren’t so fortunate. Every day we see people walk through the doors of the Children’s Hospital and recount with the greatest despair that they just didn’t know what to do to help their child. I want to change that – when the unimaginable happens, rather than feeling powerless, I want families to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to act quickly and help save their child’s life.”

Combining this determination with her passion for paediatrics, Sarah founded CPR Kids in 2012, and has made it her mission to empower every person who cares for children with the lifesaving skills of Paediatric CPR and first aid. Through hands-on learning and practical experience, CPR Kids delivers a range of classes taught by the very best clinicians in the field. Each class is tailored to best suit the needs of participants – from intensive to seasonal refresher courses – and addresses the specific requirements of babies, infants and older children.

A Life Changing Experience…

Travelling to Kenya with World Youth International in 2007 was a life changing experience for Sarah. “My husband and I were only recently married and thought what better way to kick off a marriage than to volunteer for a rural village project in western Kenya! But nothing could have prepared us for what an incredible experience it was – one that would stay with us for the rest of our lives.”

After arriving in Western Kenya, Sarah spent four weeks getting to know the local community and consulting with local healthcare facilities. Sarah and her husband spent the next five months setting up the infrastructure and delivering mobile medical camps for villagers of nearby districts who previously had to walk 30km to access healthcare services. Each medical camp treated some 600 people with injuries and illnesses – including malaria and tropical ulcers – and offered immunisations, intestinal worming and sexual heath education. Sarah’s legacy lives on in Kenya to this day, with the medical camps continuing to deliver valuable health services for local communities.

In 2013 Sarah put pen to paper and released her first book A life. A finger. A pea up a nose – a practical guide to baby and child first aid (a title inspired by real life after one of Sarah’s daughters wanted to see what would happen if she put a pea in her nostril!) – and is due to release her second edition in October 2015.

Sarah has a Masters Degree in Clinical Practice, and has held various roles in Paediatric Emergency Departments, including Nurse Unit Manager and Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Sarah lives with her husband, two daughters and dog, fish and hermit crab in Sydney, and when she’s not working, writing or speaking at events, Sarah likes to spend time with her family discovering the latest bushwalking tracks and beaches in Sydney’s picturesque National Parks. Already inspired by the difference their mum is making to so many lives, it’s no surprise that when Sarah’s daughters grow up, they want to be either doctors, nurses or depending on the day, wildlife warriors!