like to thank him for his support of the Operation Hospital Food campaign with celebrity chef James Martin. Peter campaigned for nurses to take an active role in the delivery of a high standard of meals to patients. His interest in food as an aid to recovery has helped to raise the profile of patient nutrition and hydration. Mike Duckett, by email
THE MOTHER FIGURE OF MATRON SHOULD TAKE CHARGE OF FEEDING I feel strongly that matron should be the top nurse at any hospital site. I see the role of matron as that of a mother figure in charge of the domestic affairs of the hospital wards. One of matron’s key responsibilities would be to take charge of feeding, monitoring nutrition and hydration, and keeping a close eye on what patients are eating and drinking. Matron would make certain that patients have proper meals at set times, tea and coffee at regular intervals, and, when necessary, be helped to eat and drink by nurses at the bedside.
TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN AND VALUE OTHERS COSTS NOTHING In 1815, the Scottish poet and novelist Sir Walter Scott observed: ‘And many a word, at random spoken, may soothe or wound a heart that’s broken.’ While nursing practice has developed into an advanced and challenging discipline, we, as nurses, must never forget the essential elements of our practice. Kindness and politeness cost nothing. There are huge budget issues and financial challenges in the NHS. But a smile, reassurance, basic introductions, providing information, taking the time to listen and to value others costs absolutely nothing. The essential elements of nursing practice are the foundations on which more complex tasks can be built and all nurses have a duty to remember this.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK Thinking what a care assistant would feel when they find one of these hidden cameras in place @mulberrybush
Think they have hard enough job on paltry wage as it is. This won’t make them feel valued at all @wendyjpitt61
Surely there are better ways to ensure good care than terrifying people with the thought that big brother is most likely watching @MisterHreben
This should have been brought in years ago. If we’re doing our job properly we have nothing to hide! All for it
Donato Tallo, by email
@beckidoo87
Why hide them? That’s allowing it to happen, then catching them. Put them in full view and stop it b4 it happens
SMALL ACTIONS WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON NHS CHANGE DAY Many Nursing Standard readers made a pledge for last year’s NHS Change Day. This was an opportunity for practitioners to harness our collective energy, creativity and ideas to make a change. It is just a few weeks to this year’s NHS Change Day on Wednesday March 11, and we would like you to be involved. Together, each of our small actions will make a big difference in improving the care and wellbeing of those who use the NHS. We are supporting campaigns that would benefit from your support in making a difference. Find out more and log your action on our website at www.changeday.nhs.uk The website gives details of our 7am to 7pm Changeathon – a 12-hour live, streamed celebration of the work we all do in the NHS.
FAMILY-CENTRED CARE IS NOT ABOUT HAVING ALL THE ANSWERS Nursing student Cristina Da Silva’s Starting Out column (Reflections February 11) is a heartfelt account of helping to care for a premature baby with necrotising enterocolitis. She says she built up a good therapeutic relationship with the family and ‘seeing them distressed made me feel helpless’. Reflecting on the experience of being there for the parents of sick children led Cristina to the realisation that family-centred care is not about having all the answers – that actions sometimes speak louder than words. There are times when a shoulder to cry on to someone to hold your hand is all that you can do. Being a good listener is important, too. The baby’s condition was described as ‘severe’ and she needed to be transferred to a specialist centre. Despite a significant mortality risk, long-term prognosis for infants undergoing surgery for necrotising enterocolitis is improving, with survival rates of 70 to 80 per cent.
Martin Turner and the NHS Change Day team
Sally Harding, by email
Mike Walker, by email
@sunglasses67
Been a nurse for almost 5 yrs and having my first real nursey backache #nurselife #considermyselflucky @NurseEyeRoll
Staff shortages are real and are happening. Yet in spite of this I still saw kindness, humanity and real willing from nursing staff y/day #NHS @lucyjmarsters
Funny how I’m doing a nursing course yet I have to neglect my own health @VictoriaRRClark
Follow Nursing Standard @NurseStandard and join the #NScomment chat on Thursdays at 12.30pm
NURSING STANDARD february 18 :: vol 29 no 25 :: 2015 35 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 25, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
THE MOTHER FIGURE OF MATRON SHOULD TAKE CHARGE OF FEEDING I feel strongly that matron should be the top nurse at any hospital site. I see the role of matron as that of a mother figure in charge of the domestic affairs of the hospital wards. One of matron’s key responsibilities would be to take charge of feeding, monitoring nutrition and hydration, and keeping a close eye on what patients are eating and drinking. Matron would make certain that patients have proper meals at set times, tea and coffee at regular intervals, and, when necessary, be helped to eat and drink by nurses at the bedside.
TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN AND VALUE OTHERS COSTS NOTHING In 1815, the Scottish poet and novelist Sir Walter Scott observed: ‘And many a word, at random spoken, may soothe or wound a heart that’s broken.’ While nursing practice has developed into an advanced and challenging discipline, we, as nurses, must never forget the essential elements of our practice. Kindness and politeness cost nothing. There are huge budget issues and financial challenges in the NHS. But a smile, reassurance, basic introductions, providing information, taking the time to listen and to value others costs absolutely nothing. The essential elements of nursing practice are the foundations on which more complex tasks can be built and all nurses have a duty to remember this.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK Thinking what a care assistant would feel when they find one of these hidden cameras in place @mulberrybush
Think they have hard enough job on paltry wage as it is. This won’t make them feel valued at all @wendyjpitt61
Surely there are better ways to ensure good care than terrifying people with the thought that big brother is most likely watching @MisterHreben
This should have been brought in years ago. If we’re doing our job properly we have nothing to hide! All for it
Donato Tallo, by email
@beckidoo87
Why hide them? That’s allowing it to happen, then catching them. Put them in full view and stop it b4 it happens
SMALL ACTIONS WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON NHS CHANGE DAY Many Nursing Standard readers made a pledge for last year’s NHS Change Day. This was an opportunity for practitioners to harness our collective energy, creativity and ideas to make a change. It is just a few weeks to this year’s NHS Change Day on Wednesday March 11, and we would like you to be involved. Together, each of our small actions will make a big difference in improving the care and wellbeing of those who use the NHS. We are supporting campaigns that would benefit from your support in making a difference. Find out more and log your action on our website at www.changeday.nhs.uk The website gives details of our 7am to 7pm Changeathon – a 12-hour live, streamed celebration of the work we all do in the NHS.
FAMILY-CENTRED CARE IS NOT ABOUT HAVING ALL THE ANSWERS Nursing student Cristina Da Silva’s Starting Out column (Reflections February 11) is a heartfelt account of helping to care for a premature baby with necrotising enterocolitis. She says she built up a good therapeutic relationship with the family and ‘seeing them distressed made me feel helpless’. Reflecting on the experience of being there for the parents of sick children led Cristina to the realisation that family-centred care is not about having all the answers – that actions sometimes speak louder than words. There are times when a shoulder to cry on to someone to hold your hand is all that you can do. Being a good listener is important, too. The baby’s condition was described as ‘severe’ and she needed to be transferred to a specialist centre. Despite a significant mortality risk, long-term prognosis for infants undergoing surgery for necrotising enterocolitis is improving, with survival rates of 70 to 80 per cent.
Martin Turner and the NHS Change Day team
Sally Harding, by email
Mike Walker, by email
@sunglasses67
Been a nurse for almost 5 yrs and having my first real nursey backache #nurselife #considermyselflucky @NurseEyeRoll
Staff shortages are real and are happening. Yet in spite of this I still saw kindness, humanity and real willing from nursing staff y/day #NHS @lucyjmarsters
Funny how I’m doing a nursing course yet I have to neglect my own health @VictoriaRRClark
Follow Nursing Standard @NurseStandard and join the #NScomment chat on Thursdays at 12.30pm
NURSING STANDARD february 18 :: vol 29 no 25 :: 2015 35 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 25, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
