LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
· Insight into all aspects of how a community nursing team is managed including the role of each member of the team and their skills.
· Taking referrals from GPs, Single Point of Access, care homes, patients and carers.
· Seeing patients in home, residential care and clinic settings.
· Tissue viability: wound assessment and care planning, and how to select appropriate dressings. Pressure area management and treatment.
· Removal of suture and clips.
· Leg ulcers: observation of lower limb assessment including history-taking,
leg examination, and ultrasound (Doppler) readings. Negotiation and advice with patients on the importance of nutrition and exercise.
· Continence assessments, use of bladder ultrasound scanner, treatment
of urinary incontinence, product advice.
· Urethral and suprapubic catheter care and advice to patients and carers; catheterisations.
· The care of palliative care patients at home. Use of syringe drivers.
Fast-tracking patients for care. Gold Standards Framework. The placement will include a study day for students arranged by the Palliative care team.
· Multi-disciplinary meetings. Continuing Care assessments. Assess and
arrange supply of equipment in the home. Support of patient, family and carers.
· Needs assessment, care planning and evaluation of patients including tissue viability, nutrition and falls screening. The use of electronic documentation using SystmOne, and the inputting of data relating to patient care.
· Insight visits
· Develop core skills, blood pressure, pulse and urinalysis aseptic technique.
Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust
GAINSBOROUGH COMMUNITY NURSING TEAM
Student Nurse
Welcome Pack
Student ……………………………………
Mentor …………………………………….
Associate Mentor …………………………
Placement date……………………………
Morton Centre, John Coupland Hospital,
Ropery Road, Gainsborough DN21 2TJ
Tel 01427 816553
WELCOME TO GAINSBOROUGH COMMUNITY NURSING TEAM
We hope that you will enjoy your placement and be able to link theory to practice and so develop and extend your skills and knowledge within the primary care setting. Your mentor will help support and guide you.
Please contact your mentor prior to your start date to arrange a start time for the first day. We can also give you directions and answer any queries.
The Gainsborough Nursing Team is part of Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust and provides nursing care to housebound people over 18 years of age. We aim to provide holistic person centred care that will enable individuals to increase independence and improve health outcomes. This may include acute and chronic wound care, health promotion, continence assessments and health protection through the flu vaccination programme. We offer support for palliative patients and facilitate care for end of life patients and their families. We expect our clients to be treated as individuals with respect for their dignity, while maintaining confidentiality and high standards of practice.
The community nursing service operates 7 days a week, including bank holidays. Shifts are between the hours of 8am and 7pm, including a n early shift, a midway shift and a late shift.
The Gainsborough area offers the diversity of nursing in a busy fast-expanding town as well as rural areas. The team is based at John Coupland Hospital and covers 4 GP Surgeries, Caskgate Street, Cleveland Surgery, Pottergate Surgery and Hawthorn Surgery in Scotter. We also run a clinic based at John Coupland Hospital for patients of Cleveland surgery and lower limb assessments/leg ulcer care for all surgeries.
While on placement you will have access to a variety of services provided by other specialists including diabetic specialist nurse, practice nurse, palliative care, tissue viability, continence promotion, intermediate care and social services. Do let your mentor know if there is any particular area you’d like to cover and we’ll try to arrange it.
FIRST DAY OF PLACEMENT: INDUCTION
Please arrive promptly at the agreed time and place so that time can be allowed to orientate you to the placement area.
Your mentor or co-mentor will meet you and show you around the placement area. This will include a tour of the building, emergency fire exits, fire policy, health and safety information and fire evacuation procedure.
Dress code should be as the agreed uniform policy which includes tunic and trousers, with ID badge to be worn at all times. Bring a warm and waterproof coat. Personal mobile phones should not be used whilst on duty but can be accessed on official breaks.
Working arrangements such as lunch break, storage of bags, and refreshment facilities will be explained by your mentor. As a general rule there is access to tea and coffee making facilities, but we suggest you bring a packed lunch.
Your mentor will explain the procedure for receiving and referring messages and enquiries. You will also be shown where resources are in the nurses’ office for your background study, and you will have web access for email and personal study at times.
Trust policies and procedures including confidentiality will be discussed as relevant to the placement and are available on the intranet www.lincolnshirecommunityhealthservices.nhs.uk.
In case of absence or sickness you must phone the nursing office (numbers on front page) to inform us by the start of the shift, and follow procedures for notifying your university.
Please bring all relevant paperwork relating to your placement and your learning needs with you to enable your mentor to discuss your learning outcomes and any additional learning opportunities. Your mentor will also agree a timetable for your formative and final interviews and make sure you understand your professional responsibilities. If you have any anxieties or queries during the placement please do raise them with your mentor or one of the senior nurses – we want you to enjoy your time in Gainsborough and have a valuable professional experience.
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