Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine - St Vincent's ...

Department of Nursing
St.Vincent’s Healthcare Group
148
Divisions
Areas of Responsibility
Critical Care Intensive Care Unit,St.Brigid’s Ward,St.
Joseph’s Ward,High Dependency Unit,
Liver Unit (Liver Transplantation and
Hepatitis C) and Tissue Viability
Services.
General Medical St.Kevin’s Ward,St.Michael’s Ward,St.
Patrick’s Ward, St.Mark’s Ward,St.
James’s Ward,Haemovigilance, Diabetes
Centre, Anticoagulant services and
Occupational Health.
Neurology, Medicine St.Agnes’s Ward,St.Vincent’s Ward,
of the Elderly St.Camillus’Ward,Day Hospitals
and Psychiatry (Psychiatry of Old Age, Medicine for the
Elderly and Camillus’),Stroke
Rehabilitation,Infection Control and
Multiple Sclerosis.
Oncology, Palliative St.Anne’s Ward and Day Centre, St.
Care and Professorial Raphael’s Ward,St.Teresa’s Ward, St.
Surgical
Catherine’s Ward, Palliative Care, Breast
Care, Haematology and Cancer
Co-ordinators.
Theatre
Operating Department, Cardiac
Catherisation Laborator y, Endoscopy
and Radiology.
Urology, Gynaecology St.Charles’s Ward,St. Peter’s Ward,and
and Nephrology Dialysis Unit,St.Laurence’s Ward and
Urodynamics,Continuous Ambulatory
Peritoneal Dialysis
The divisions are lead by a Divisional Nurse Manager.Those
areas not mentioned in the divisional structure which include
Accident and Emergency, Outpatients Department, and St.
Anthony’s Rehabilitation Centre (SARC) are reported under
their respective departmental sections. It is envisaged that the
Divisional Nurse Manager for these areas will be appointed
next year.
Cardio Respiratory Division
Ms.Anne Henley, Divisional Nurse Manager
This division incorporates the Coronary Care Unit,Cardiology
Ward,St John’s and St Paul’s Wards,Cardiac Rehabilitation and
the Heart Failure Unit at St. M i c h a e l ’s Hospital in Dun Laoghaire.
Structural changes to the day room provided much needed
office space for the nurses working in the Cardiology Ward. A
Cardiac Rehabilitation database was commenced at the
beginning of 2003.The Heart Failure Unit had 3,320 patients
attend the out - patient department. The percentage readmission
rate for heart failure to St.Vincent’s University
Hospital remains in single figures since the introduction of
multidisciplinary management of heart failure.
An Bord Altranais approved Heart Failure Nurse Training
programme continues to be a great success nationally.Thirteen
students undertook the Higher Diploma in Nursing Studies
Critical Care (Cardiovascular Pathway),Year 1 and Year 2.CCU
facilitated thirty-three students from other hospitals on
placements.They also facilitated the placement of 13 Emergency
Medical Technicians from Dublin Fire Brigade.
A Working group was established in October 2003 to produce
a proposal and Service Plan for the development of a non –
invasive ventilation unit (NIV).
Critical Care Division
Ms. Maureen Flynn,Divisional Nurse Manager
The Critical Care Nursing Division was established in 2003,with
the appointment of the Divisional Nurse Manager in December
2002.There are 105 whole time equivalent (WTE) nurses and
12 WTE support staff working across the Division in the
following areas:Intensive Care Unit (ICU);St.Joseph’s Ward;
High Dependency Unit (thoracic and vascular);St.Brigid’s Ward;
and the Liver Unit at St.Rita’s. In the early part of the year the
Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and the Cardiology Ward were
temporarily included within the Division until the appointment
of Divisional Nurse Manager for the Cardio Respiratory
Division,in July 2003.
Early in 2003 a survey mapping the communication process
across the Division was undertaken. Arising from this a number
of new initiatives were introduced:
•A Clinical Nurse Managers Group and a wider Nurse
Leaders Group was established for the Division in February
2003. Presentations were given on the role of the Clinical
Nurse Specialist,Service Planning and the Action Plan for
People Management.
•A Clinical Nurse Managers Group was established for the
Intensive Care Unit,which met on a bimonthly basis in
2003.The purpose of the group was to enhance
communication and provide a structure to work together
on matters relating to:clinical nursing practice;management
and personnel issues; higher diploma in critical care nursing;
continuing education of ICU nursing staff;and development
of clinical policies and guidelines.
Developments
•The Clinical Nurse Managers and the Divisional Nurse
Manager in consultation with the relevant Medical
Consultants prepared submissions for the Provider Plan
2003-2006.
•Nursing staff across the Division actively participated in
three of the Accreditation Quality Improvement Teams: i)
Liver Transplant and Hepatitis C; ii) Theatre, Critical Care
and Anaesthesia;and iii) Cardiology, Respiratory,Thoracic
and Vascular.
•A two-week skills enhancement placement was arranged
for six members of the nursing staff (St.Brigid’s Ward) in
the General ICU, during the summer months.
•The Clinical Nurse Specialists and the Divisional Nurse
Manager represented the Hospital at the ERHA Hepatitis
C Forum.
•Ms. Deridre Cornally was involved in the foundation of the
Tissue Viability Nurses Association, a national forum for
CNSs practising in this field.
Education
•A new two-week placement in the High Dependency Unit
(HDU) was planned and implemented for the Higher
Diploma in Critical Care Nursing students.
•A new module focused on liver disease was included in the
Higher Diploma in Gastroenterology Nursing.
•Eight nurses successfully completed the Higher Diploma in
Critical Care Nursing (two from St. Brigd’s Ward and two
from High Dependency Unit)
•Nine nurses commenced the Higher Diploma in Critical
Care Nursing,which commenced in September 2003.
•A National Hepatology Nurses Study Day was held in March
2003 with over 80 nu rses attending from across the country.
•A pilot workshop was arranged by the Nurse Education
Centre to prepare I/V Assessors for the Intensive Care Unit.
•Specific education on wound management and pressure
area care was incorporated in the orientation programme
for overseas nursing staff.
•A number of nurses across the Division successful
completed Degrees in Nursing and Management.
In addition to this report the Liver Transplant Co-ordinators,
Hepatitis C Clinical Nurse Specialists,Tissue Viability Clinical
Nurse Specialist, and the Clinical Facilitators from ICU and St.
Brigids Ward each prepared and circulated detailed reports of
their activities for 2003.
General Medical Division
Ms. Margaret Murphy, Divisional Nurse Manager
The General Medical Division comprises seventy-four in-patient
beds,twelve ambulatory day care beds,nine ophthalmology
beds plus day care.The Diabetes Centre, Occupational Health
Department,Haemovigilance, and Anti-coagulant service are
also incorporated in the division.
Throughout all areas high standards of patient care were
delivered while operating to almost 100% occupancy.The main
focus for 2003 was the development of the
Anticoagulant service by the appointment of a Clinical Nurse
Specialist in February. In June a second CNS was appointed to
the haemovigilance service. In the latter half of the year, many
members of the division participated in the accreditation
process,the outcome of which we look forward to in 2004.
Neurology, Medicine of the Elderly and
Psychiatry Division
Mr. Patrick Gargan,Divisional Nurse Manager
Together with its core departments, St Agnes’s Ward,St
Monica’s Ward and Infection Control are also incorporated in
this division which comprises of 102 in-patient beds and three
day hospitals.The primary focus during 2003 was the continued
development of the Stroke Care Unit,enhancing the provision
of The Higher Diploma in Nursing Studies (Clinical Practice)
Gerontological Nursing specialist strand and the merging of our
psychiatric services with those of Vergemount Area 2 Mental
Health Services.
More detailed information on nursing developments are
contained in the respective departmental reviews.The
Accreditation Process afforded departments the opportunity to
work more closely together in shaping and planning the service
and all look forward to the benefits this process will deliver.
Oncology, Palliative Care and the
Professorial Surgical Division
Ms.Tanya King,Divisional Nurse Manager
The Oncology/Surgical division comprises 101 in-patient beds
and a combination of out-patient and day care services.
Because of the diversity in the specialities within the division,
the core nursing staff on the wards are well supported by the
following Clinical Nurse Specialists:Breast Care, Breast
Check,Coloproctology, Colorectal,Cancer Nurse
Coordinators,Haematology Liaison,Oncology
Liaison, Palliative Care.
Ongoing further education is facilitated
for the following strands of the
Higher Diploma in Nursing
Studies:Oncology, Palliative
Care and Breast Care.
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