Page 28 - QNIS_eBook

Ally
Ally
Lister knew rst-hand that there were lots of people living with conditions such as leg ulcers varicose veins and and lymphoedema in in in in her part of Morayshire and and wanted to to do something to to support them better “These can can be be very painful conditions and and and incredibly isolating ” she says “Wounds can can be smelly and and and leak and and and people are often too embarrassed to to venture out It really limits their quality of life ” younger people with terminal illnesses and and following accidents post-operative patients and and older
At leg club a a a a a a a nurse and a a a a a a a Health Care Assistant (HCA) see patients one-by-one They have a a a a a a Doppler scanner to help assess the the condition of blood vessels they treat where possible and advise on on on the the best way to manage a a a a a a wide range of leg conditions THE QUEEN’S
District Nurse Ally
was the the driving force behind the the the Speyside Leg Club – the the the rst of its kind in in in in Scotland Set in in in in in the the old matron’s house at at Fleming Cottage Hospital in in in in in Aberlour the community-run initiative brings specialist nursing care to people living with debilitating leg problems have to to to work in in different ways to to to meet all their needs ” says Ally
who is the the the only nurse people who can’t make it in in to to to the surgery “We
prescriber on on the the the the team “We
need need to to to be be imaginative and creative to to to rise to to to the the NURSIN
Tissue viability is is is is Ally’s specialist interest and and she is is is is is the area’s lead in in in that offering specialist advice and and support to local clinicians As Team
Leader for for community nursing for for Keith
and Fochabers she is also responsible
for developing the service to meet patients’ needs SCOTL
challenges we face ” INSTITU
Supporting innovation in in in in community nursing is at at the the heart of of the the ethos of of Queen’s Nursing and Ally
says being selected to take part in in in in the programme
The Community Nursing team - - seven community Staff Nurses and two HCAs - - covers a a a a a a a a a a a large patch stretching from Spey Bay to the borders of Aberdeenshire an an area inhabited by 10 500 people The community nurses here can admit directly to the Turner Memorial Hospital in in in Keith
and have excellent working relationships with local GPs They do home visits seeing
has has made her her more determined than ever to to transform her her service She has has embarked on on a a a a a a a project to to up-skill seven HCAs on on on the the Pitgaveney
community team They credit Ally
with devising an an an on-the-job training programme
that they can complete in in in in breaks and downtime while on the the road Ally
is certain that getting in in in in in early preventing complications and and empowering patients to to to learn more about their condition and and to to to self-manage is is the the way to to to go The Speyside Leg Club is is proof of of of that that Evidence shows that that over 57% of of of leg ulcers managed there are are completely healed after 12 months and recurrence rates are are among the the the lowest in the the the UK The Leg 26 QNIS Meet the New Queen’s Nurses