Senior Charge Nurse Experience

Donna Read – Senior Charge Nurse, Ward B12, Forth Valley Royal Hospital 

I've been nursing for 32 years. I trained in Edinburgh at the Western General Hospital.  I have 27 years experience working in respiratory medicine, 15 of which as a respiratory nurse specialist and laterally as Senior Charge Nurse of the respiratory ward at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.   I moved to NHS Forth Valley 5 years ago.  

The main challenges of the last few weeks have been:

1.  Preparing staff; training with PPE, ensuring they are kept updated with changing processes and policies, addressing their concerns and fears, keeping them calm and ensuring they are safe.
2. Adapting our work routine on a daily basis
3. Nursing patients with complex health needs who can very quickly deteriorate
4. Adapting to the changes in visiting and keeping family updated when they can’t visit as well as supporting patients who no longer are able to have regular visitors (essential visits are still possible). Also having to have difficult conversations with next of kin on the telephone rather than face-to-face is very hard and helping them to deal with the shock and grief of losing a loved one. To help address some of these challenges we have developed alternative ways for patients to stay in touch with loved ones - we have produced postcards which staff use to pass messages between patients and family members - patients can keep and reread these messages. We are also using some of the ipads which have been donated to enable patients to have video calls with friends and family members.   

One thing that has emerged through this is a sense of enhanced team working.  Everyone has a common goal which is to look after our patients to the best of our ability.  As a result, roles have at time been blurred and everyone is helping each other - for example doctors have been involved in providing personal care along with nursing staff, housekeeping staff are looking after everyone and ensuring they are remembering to take a break and get a drink. Nurses have also been cleaning rooms with housekeeping staff.  There is a genuine sense of caring and supporting each other. I work with an exceptional team and I am proud to be part of the NHS at this time.    

Community spirit – we have had overwhelming support from the community and many donations both for patients and nursing staff.  Local scouts have delivered letters for patients with pictures and get well wishes and the wonderful clapping for key workers on Thursday evenings. We also find it rewarding to celebrate the successful discharges from the ward as it’s great to see patients recovering and being able to return home.  

 A huge thank you to the public for their ongoing support and a plea to continue with social distancing to help the NHS and prevent the spread of this virus.