Hospitals’ red apron says leave me alone (From Echo)
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Hospitals’ red apron says leave me alone
10:00am Friday 12th March 2010 in
NURSES at Basildon Hospital have come up with a way of improving safety and warding off constant interruptions when handing out medication to patients.
Staff across Basildon and Thurrock Hospitals are now wearing distinctive red aprons when preparing and administering pills.
The scheme was the idea of a group of nurses at the hospital, who wanted to reduce the chances of a mistake being made by medics when counting and handing out important drugs.
It is hoped when a nurse is wearing a red apron, fellow colleagues, patients and visitors will think ‘can it wait?’ before interrupting.
Jerusha Murdoch-Kelly, clinical practice facilitator at the hospital, said: “Just from our own experiences, we knew interruptions are frequent during drug rounds and even a momentary break in concentration can lead to mistakes being made.
“It is much safer if you can concentrate on the task in hand and not have to turn your attention to anything else.”
Before bringing in the scheme, health chiefs looked into how much time was being lost or wasted during drug rounds through interruptions.
Out of three wards looked at, one ward lost 117 minutes in valuable time due to interruptions, another lost 82 minutes and the third lost 43 minutes Miss Murdoch-Kelly said: “Most of the interruptions were from telephone calls and other members of staff, although patients and visitor queries were also a factor.”
After the red apron scheme was trialled, the first ward saved 74 minutes during drug rounds, the second 51 minutes and the third 28 minutes.
Patients and visitors have now been spoken to about the importance of the scheme and how it can stop mistakes being made.
Miss Murdoch-Kelly added: “Everyone we have spoken to has reacted extremely positively and recognised why it is important.”
The scheme is now being rolled out across all wards at the hospital.
Comments(13)
ShipShape
says...
1:04pm Fri 12 Mar 10
They are doing their best to address a serious problem and they've come up with a simple, cost effective solution.
I know quite a few Medical professionals and 99% of them are dedicated, hard-working people, none of the ones I know would hide or avoid patients and I take umbrage at petty snipers who suggest otherwise.
Its a pity that people like you, Colleen, can't spend a day with the nursing staff. I'm sure that after you've experienced what they have to do and put up with, you'd be singing their praises.
Or is it easier to sit and criticise from the safety of your armchair?
ShipShape
says...
1:54pm Fri 12 Mar 10
Colleen G, why not give Basildon Hospital a ring on 0845 155 3111, and have a chat with them, it could go a little like this..
'Hi there, I'm Colleen G, you might of heard of me, I'm a cross-eyed lunatic from the internet.
Now, in between Googling for knitting patterns and naked pictures of Michael Buble, I've been on the Echo web-site and I read an article about the safe distribution of controlled medicines in a busy environment..
Apparently a bunch of so-called 'nurses' came up with an idea to solve the problem and I thought, 'What do they know with their years of experience and extensive training?'
So I sat there and then I reread the article, then decide that I, Colleen G, courtesy of Blue Sapphire GIN, with all the information gleaned from a 200-odd word article and ten minutes thought, could come up with a better way of doing things...
You could then regale them with whatever hare-brained idea that you and a bottle of gin have concocted. Then you could put down the receiver and have a little snooze dreaming of how the next article will tell of Colleen G, saviour of the NHS and the scourge of all those nasty lazy nurses and how your phone call caused them to reconsider their evil ways, dress like Barbara Windsor style nurses and decide to make you their God.
(Don't forget to mention this next time you go in to have you 'farmers' tweaked)
Colleen G
says...
4:59pm Fri 12 Mar 10
I think the days of hiding behind the good name and memory we all have of real *angels* on the hospital staff, are long gone. The worst of it is these same staff who turn a blind eye and ear to the vulnerable patients, know full well what that neglect could mean. Shame.
The fact you twerps had a boil lanced from the end of your nose and the staff were good, means nothing to the families and victims of neglect at the hospital hands.
ShipShape
says...
5:33pm Fri 12 Mar 10
Don't just say 'They should do their jobs properly' that's just a cop-out.
Do you really think they came up with this idea so that they could ignore patients? Grow up. The staff are trying to make things better for the people in their care. And then of course, 'twerps who have no idea what they're waffling about' come out of the woodwork to criticise their efforts.
There's going to be some bad apples in the barrel, who will shirk their responsibilities but to tar all the staff with the same brush is just plane wrong *Shame*.
Rudyard Kipling's Tommy Atkins springs to mind when I read sour-faced scratchings from the likes of you. (I'll c+p a section for you)
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.
In case you've missed my point, when you've got need of their services, I'll wager that you'll sing their praises and start calling them 'Angels' like the all the usual hypocrites do. So why not get off your soap box and gives us all the benefit of your expansive intellect and tell us what should be done? Eh?
(Side-note, I've experienced private medical, NHS, Military and foreign care and I don't look at any of them through misty eyes and rose tinted glasses, but I appreciate good efforts when I see them.)
mindboggles
says...
5:52pm Fri 12 Mar 10
ShipShape wrote:I've spent 3 days with the nursing staff (while a patient) and found at least 50% of them to be rude, incompetent and reluctant to do basic duties. I doubt many people request things from staff unless they really have to as a lot of them are intimidating and surly.
The nurses themselves came up with the idea. They are doing their best to address a serious problem and they've come up with a simple, cost effective solution. I know quite a few Medical professionals and 99% of them are dedicated, hard-working people, none of the ones I know would hide or avoid patients and I take umbrage at petty snipers who suggest otherwise. Its a pity that people like you, Colleen, can't spend a day with the nursing staff. I'm sure that after you've experienced what they have to do and put up with, you'd be singing their praises. Or is it easier to sit and criticise from the safety of your armchair?
ShipShape
says...
6:43pm Fri 12 Mar 10
1st off, I hope your feeling better.
But 50% of how many? 2 or 10? I find it difficult to believe that such a percentage of staff you met were rude, incompetent and reluctant to do basic duties.
But such things as rudeness are subjective and hard to gauge, what is rude to you may not be rude to me for example.
Incompetence and reluctance to do basic duties, well, respectfully I have to ask if you are qualified to know what constitutes incompetence or just what are the basic duties of a nurse? How many were on duty and were they stretched too thinly?
Also, don't forget even if the percentage of bad apples were as high you say, then there were almost as many good staff working twice as hard to keep things going!
Again, please don't tar all with the same brush.
SA
says...
7:08pm Fri 12 Mar 10
However, in my experience of many, many hours spent on the wards visiting my mother, it is very difficult to speak to a senior nurse about patient treatment, progress etc. and even harder to speak to a doctor.
The only staff you may be able to speak to briefly are health care assistants, who are not usually qualified to advise on such matters.
That is why, generally, patients, family and other staff are forced to interrupt the medication round.
The simple answer, in layman's terms, is a greater number of the qualified staff on duty. But, of course, that means increased costs, and we all know that isn't going to happen.
mindboggles
says...
7:21pm Fri 12 Mar 10
ShipShape wrote:I'm not tarring all with the same brush, just 50% (of about 10). I think I'm qualified to say that trying to take my baby downstairs for antibiotics he didn't need because they'd got me mixed up with someone else is incompetence on someone's part, and trying to remove a catheter 12 hours early. If I hadn't questioned these things they would have gone ahead. I'd also say reluctance to change a baby's nappy after 12 hours was reluctance to perform a basic duty. Who else was supposed to do this over the first night when I was completely bed-ridden after a c-section? Glaring at me and grunting "ok?" when doing it seems rude to me. I admit it might not be rude to everyone, depends if you're used to people glaring and grunting at you. I admit 50% of the staff were good but they all seemed to be on the same shift and were gone over night. One was outstanding, but she was too run off her feet to attend to everyone.
Mindboggles, 1st off, I hope your feeling better. But 50% of how many? 2 or 10? I find it difficult to believe that such a percentage of staff you met were rude, incompetent and reluctant to do basic duties. But such things as rudeness are subjective and hard to gauge, what is rude to you may not be rude to me for example. Incompetence and reluctance to do basic duties, well, respectfully I have to ask if you are qualified to know what constitutes incompetence or just what are the basic duties of a nurse? How many were on duty and were they stretched too thinly? Also, don't forget even if the percentage of bad apples were as high you say, then there were almost as many good staff working twice as hard to keep things going! Again, please don't tar all with the same brush.
NHSSTAFF
says...
8:48pm Fri 12 Mar 10
mindboggles
says...
10:30am Sat 13 Mar 10
NHSSTAFF wrote:Unbelievable really. Anyone who has had a bad experience there, from rudeness to dangerous incompetence, (and there are a lot of us) are idiots and sad souls? When a hospital has been rated as one of the worst in the country I think all the complaints are justified.
Well said ShipShape - some wise words against the usual idiotic comments from the axe-to-grind minority sad souls. We shall continue to try our best whatever the grinders say.
Colleen G
says...
12:38pm Sat 13 Mar 10
schrodingerscat
says...
3:00pm Sun 14 Mar 10
The red apron idea is one that has been ongoing in several hospitals around the UK with good results. Most interruptions are from other, non-clinical staff members regarding non-urgent matters. Surely a nurse's priority should be the safety of the patients in their care?
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Colleen G says...
10:34am Fri 12 Mar 10
This advice is free, and with good intent. Unlike the JackA S S who obviously came up with the silly red apron idea.
No doubt another higly paid idea that misses the real point, and wastes even more precious resources.