MAKING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Elaine Gordon takes health care to the poorest countries. Carol Davis spoke to her Volunteering on hospital ships that take health care to the world’s poorest people has given Elaine Gordon extraordinary new experiences, as well as skills and experience to bring back to the NHS. ‘I always wanted to travel and use my nursing skills to make a difference, especially when there is so much need in the world,’ says Ms Gordon. The charity Mercy Ships, established in 1978, has used its hospital ships to deliver free healthcare and construction services to the developing world. Its volunteer surgeons, dentists, engineers and agriculturalists have now visited more than 70 countries and treated more than 2.5 million patients; some 20,000 nurses have also volunteered. Ms Gordon, critical care sister at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, contacted Mercy Ships in the UK, supplied
Elaine Gordon: ‘I always wanted to travel and use my nursing skills to make a difference’
RESOURCES
NOTICE BOARD
Mercy Ships www.mercyships.org.uk Volunteering guidance from British Council tinyurl.com/VolunteerBritCouncil
references, and underwent medical tests. Then she used four weeks’ annual leave to fly to Honduras and join the Caribbean Mercy, where she worked on an ophthalmology ward with pre- and post-operative patients. ‘It was simply a different world, and the need was overwhelming,’ she says. ‘But you work as part of a strong, supportive team.’ A four-week stint in Ghana followed, before Ms Gordon opted for a nine-month career break in 2007 to join the Africa Mercy, the world’s largest
Handbooks NHS Improving Quality, part of NHS England, has launched two how-to guides to help nursing staff and other healthcare professionals to improve their skills and knowledge. The Learning Handbook is a guide to effective learning and the Intelligence Handbook offers help with finding and using sources of information at work. Both are concise e-books designed to help professionals enhance their skills and drive service improvement. See tinyurl.com/ learnhand and tinyurl.com/intelhand Cardiopulmonary resuscitation The British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the RCN have published new guidance on decisions relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which replaces their
non-governmental floating hospital, in Liberia and Sierra Leone. With five operating theatres and four wards, the ship accommodates about 100 nurses. ‘On a trip to Guinea, around 8,000 people turned up for screening – we worked from five or six in the morning till late, running on adrenaline.’ She also worked on a maxillofacial ward in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven months. Nursing in developing countries has brought fresh clinical challenges, including
2007 joint statement. The advice includes additional information on advance care planning, recording CPR decisions, communicating decisions to other healthcare providers, and reviewing decisions. Go to tinyurl.com/ CPRRevised Course fees The Nightingale Fund provides grants to help with course fees for nurses, midwives and community public health nurses who are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, as well as healthcare assistants. To apply, complete the application form and return it to the fund’s honorary secretary with a current CV. Awards are made three times a year and the closing dates are January 16, May 15 and September 19. Visit tinyurl.com/NFgrants
64 december :: volRCNi.com 29 no 16-18 :: 2014 STANDARD Downloaded17from by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 13, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
CAREERS
Accurate records help keep patients safe and protect staff against legal action, writes Nicola Davies
Getting documentation right treating people traumatised by war, and those with noma, a gangrenous infection of the face. ‘One particular patient was so shy he would keep his face covered. ‘Nursing him, showing that he was accepted, brought about a beautiful change; he became confident and mischievous. It was rewarding to see his healing,’ she says. She has seen the change in patients offered cleft lip and palate repairs they could never otherwise afford. Her experiences have brought a fresh appreciation of the NHS. ‘Working with Mercy Ships involves different ways of doing things. You learn to be adaptable, more cost effective. ‘It has stimulated me to get involved in local prisons, and visit orphanages,’ she says. Taking health care to the poorest people in the world is extraordinary, and has helped to make me a better nurse by broadening my experience and skills.’ Carol Davis is a freelance journalist
Between medication administration, care tasks and communication with colleagues and patients’ families, documentation often gets put on the back-burner. However, it is a critical aspect of nursing care that provides a precise account of your actions that is vital for your legal protection and that of your employer. Below are a few suggestions to ensure your documentation is accurate and timely.
documentation available, consider using an established structure such as SOAP (see box).
Patient identification
Record with caution
Ensure you are recording details for the right patient. This might seem obvious but an error can have serious consequences. Verify the patient’s name, age, primary diagnosis and room and bed number. If you inadvertently record details for the wrong patient, document this on their chart before charting correctly for the right patient.
Information required
Ask yourself: ‘If this patient was transferred elsewhere, what would staff need to know?’ Communicate what is necessary in a clear, concise manner. If pertinent information is omitted, uninformed decisions could be made, which could leave the employer exposed to legal action.
Structured recording
Most healthcare organisations use a standard format for nursing records, whether paper or online. If there is no structured
Holiday pay NHS Employers has released guidance on the calculation of holiday pay for those who work overtime or whose weekly working hours can vary. Holiday pay is currently calculated using the previous 12 weeks as a benchmark. Agenda for Change does include provision for holiday pay to be calculated by taking account of regular ‘additional to contracted’ hours. The new guidance says a number of other payments could be taken into account in calculating holiday pay, including performance pay. Also, holiday accruing from bank work should be accounted for separately from the main employment holiday pay. See tinyurl.com/NHSEHPay Information sharing The Department of Health has published a leaflet emphasising the importance of sharing information with professional colleagues and other team members who
Be accurate
When writing notes, document only what you have seen, heard or felt yourself. Be accurate and provide quantitative information. If relevant third-party information is passed to you, document the source alongside the information.
Consider how your notes may be read by someone with no nursing experience. Abbreviations might be misinterpreted; use only those approved by your institution and known to other healthcare professionals. Nursing documentation is an important tool to plan patient care and justify clinical actions. It is also a first line of defence in a legal situation and should be rigorously maintained to protect yourself professionally. Nicola Davies is a health psychologist and writer
SOAP documentation structure Subjective – patient reported data Objective – nurse observed data or symptoms Assessment – report of patient assessment Plan to address patient issues
are caring for a patient. The guidance sets out five rules for information sharing as part of a person’s direct care, as well as an overview of the main factors that nurses must consider regarding information sharing in day-to-day care. It also outlines support you can expect from your organisation on more detailed issues associated with making the right decision about when and how to share data. Visit tinyurl.com/IS5rules Bursaries The RCN Foundation Worshipful Company of Needlemakers Educational Bursaries, worth up to £1,000 each, are available annually to assist with funding learning and development activities that enhance patient care in one or more areas. Entry for the bursaries is by application form, which can be submitted until January 21. For more details go to tinyurl.com/RCNeedlemaker
NURSING december 17 No :: vol 29uses no 16-18 2014 65 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 13, 2015. For personal use only. other without:: permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
Elaine Gordon: ‘I always wanted to travel and use my nursing skills to make a difference’
RESOURCES
NOTICE BOARD
Mercy Ships www.mercyships.org.uk Volunteering guidance from British Council tinyurl.com/VolunteerBritCouncil
references, and underwent medical tests. Then she used four weeks’ annual leave to fly to Honduras and join the Caribbean Mercy, where she worked on an ophthalmology ward with pre- and post-operative patients. ‘It was simply a different world, and the need was overwhelming,’ she says. ‘But you work as part of a strong, supportive team.’ A four-week stint in Ghana followed, before Ms Gordon opted for a nine-month career break in 2007 to join the Africa Mercy, the world’s largest
Handbooks NHS Improving Quality, part of NHS England, has launched two how-to guides to help nursing staff and other healthcare professionals to improve their skills and knowledge. The Learning Handbook is a guide to effective learning and the Intelligence Handbook offers help with finding and using sources of information at work. Both are concise e-books designed to help professionals enhance their skills and drive service improvement. See tinyurl.com/ learnhand and tinyurl.com/intelhand Cardiopulmonary resuscitation The British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the RCN have published new guidance on decisions relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which replaces their
non-governmental floating hospital, in Liberia and Sierra Leone. With five operating theatres and four wards, the ship accommodates about 100 nurses. ‘On a trip to Guinea, around 8,000 people turned up for screening – we worked from five or six in the morning till late, running on adrenaline.’ She also worked on a maxillofacial ward in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven months. Nursing in developing countries has brought fresh clinical challenges, including
2007 joint statement. The advice includes additional information on advance care planning, recording CPR decisions, communicating decisions to other healthcare providers, and reviewing decisions. Go to tinyurl.com/ CPRRevised Course fees The Nightingale Fund provides grants to help with course fees for nurses, midwives and community public health nurses who are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, as well as healthcare assistants. To apply, complete the application form and return it to the fund’s honorary secretary with a current CV. Awards are made three times a year and the closing dates are January 16, May 15 and September 19. Visit tinyurl.com/NFgrants
64 december :: volRCNi.com 29 no 16-18 :: 2014 STANDARD Downloaded17from by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 13, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
CAREERS
Accurate records help keep patients safe and protect staff against legal action, writes Nicola Davies
Getting documentation right treating people traumatised by war, and those with noma, a gangrenous infection of the face. ‘One particular patient was so shy he would keep his face covered. ‘Nursing him, showing that he was accepted, brought about a beautiful change; he became confident and mischievous. It was rewarding to see his healing,’ she says. She has seen the change in patients offered cleft lip and palate repairs they could never otherwise afford. Her experiences have brought a fresh appreciation of the NHS. ‘Working with Mercy Ships involves different ways of doing things. You learn to be adaptable, more cost effective. ‘It has stimulated me to get involved in local prisons, and visit orphanages,’ she says. Taking health care to the poorest people in the world is extraordinary, and has helped to make me a better nurse by broadening my experience and skills.’ Carol Davis is a freelance journalist
Between medication administration, care tasks and communication with colleagues and patients’ families, documentation often gets put on the back-burner. However, it is a critical aspect of nursing care that provides a precise account of your actions that is vital for your legal protection and that of your employer. Below are a few suggestions to ensure your documentation is accurate and timely.
documentation available, consider using an established structure such as SOAP (see box).
Patient identification
Record with caution
Ensure you are recording details for the right patient. This might seem obvious but an error can have serious consequences. Verify the patient’s name, age, primary diagnosis and room and bed number. If you inadvertently record details for the wrong patient, document this on their chart before charting correctly for the right patient.
Information required
Ask yourself: ‘If this patient was transferred elsewhere, what would staff need to know?’ Communicate what is necessary in a clear, concise manner. If pertinent information is omitted, uninformed decisions could be made, which could leave the employer exposed to legal action.
Structured recording
Most healthcare organisations use a standard format for nursing records, whether paper or online. If there is no structured
Holiday pay NHS Employers has released guidance on the calculation of holiday pay for those who work overtime or whose weekly working hours can vary. Holiday pay is currently calculated using the previous 12 weeks as a benchmark. Agenda for Change does include provision for holiday pay to be calculated by taking account of regular ‘additional to contracted’ hours. The new guidance says a number of other payments could be taken into account in calculating holiday pay, including performance pay. Also, holiday accruing from bank work should be accounted for separately from the main employment holiday pay. See tinyurl.com/NHSEHPay Information sharing The Department of Health has published a leaflet emphasising the importance of sharing information with professional colleagues and other team members who
Be accurate
When writing notes, document only what you have seen, heard or felt yourself. Be accurate and provide quantitative information. If relevant third-party information is passed to you, document the source alongside the information.
Consider how your notes may be read by someone with no nursing experience. Abbreviations might be misinterpreted; use only those approved by your institution and known to other healthcare professionals. Nursing documentation is an important tool to plan patient care and justify clinical actions. It is also a first line of defence in a legal situation and should be rigorously maintained to protect yourself professionally. Nicola Davies is a health psychologist and writer
SOAP documentation structure Subjective – patient reported data Objective – nurse observed data or symptoms Assessment – report of patient assessment Plan to address patient issues
are caring for a patient. The guidance sets out five rules for information sharing as part of a person’s direct care, as well as an overview of the main factors that nurses must consider regarding information sharing in day-to-day care. It also outlines support you can expect from your organisation on more detailed issues associated with making the right decision about when and how to share data. Visit tinyurl.com/IS5rules Bursaries The RCN Foundation Worshipful Company of Needlemakers Educational Bursaries, worth up to £1,000 each, are available annually to assist with funding learning and development activities that enhance patient care in one or more areas. Entry for the bursaries is by application form, which can be submitted until January 21. For more details go to tinyurl.com/RCNeedlemaker
NURSING december 17 No :: vol 29uses no 16-18 2014 65 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 13, 2015. For personal use only. other without:: permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
