Nurses Suzane Wyle, Rhona Cameron, Paula Daniel, Rebecca Kavanagh and Shirley Stabelford agreed to work with the Leeds Integrated Discharge Team (LIDS) at St James’s hospital during the COVID 19 crisis.
Despite the potential risks to their health they went onto the wards to support their NHS colleagues in the Acute Trust. Each nurse quickly had to learn all the hospital discharge pathways and services where they could refer the patients as soon as they were deemed medically optimised to leave hospital. The aim was to make sure patients had access to the right services and support they required for them to manage once they left the hospital. This in turn reduced the patient’s risk of further complications and infections, and ensured that acute hospital beds were made available to those that required them.
Each nurse had to update their knowledge regarding the PPE required in each area of the hospital so that they could protect themselves, patients, colleagues & the general public.
Sharing their knowledge regarding the pathways being used by the Continuing Care Team during the pandemic and supported the ward staff to arrange timely discharges for the patients at the end of life, so they could die in the environment where they wished to be.
Their support allowed patients to make contact with their family and friends using the technology available on the ward with the aim of promoting their psychological wellbeing as no visitors were allowed on the ward.