VALE OF LEVEN HOSPITAL AWARD WIN IS EASY AS ABCD

Heather Hodgson presenting SCN Sean Chambers with award and, left to right, team members Student nurse Charlotte McCall, HCSW Rebecca McKie, CSM Margaret O’Rourke and SN Julie Monaghan.  

By Lucy Ashton

An innovative approach to recording patient care by nurses at the Vale of Leven hospital has won a prestigious national award.

Heather Hodgson, Lead Nurse Tissue Viability, piloted the ABCD project, which cut the time nurses spent recording duplicate information on patient care notes.

The work, carried out on ward 14 at the hospital, was aimed at reducing the incidence of avoidable pressure ulcers due to poor documentation.

As a result of the new approach, instead of registered nurses spending up to 45 minutes per shift on paperwork, recording notes was cut to 10 minutes per shift – a reduction of 78 per cent – allowing more time for direct patient care.

And more importantly, the incidence of pressure ulcers was reduced to 0.39 per 1000 occupied bed days, below the target of 0.4.

The ABCD approach is now being rolled out across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and neighbouring health boards are also interested in adopting the model.

Heather said: “We changed the mindset of what needs to be recorded, challenging ‘ritualistic’ documentation.   This approach can be applied to any speciality by any nurse.” 

The project by Heather and Sean Chambers, SCN, won the Wounds UK Excellence Award at the Wounds UK conference in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, this week.

Heather said: “I am absolutely delighted. The award is for the whole team, from nurses to healthcare support workers.”

Clinical Services Manager and Lead Nurse Margaret O’Rourke said: “I am very proud of Sean and his team and the collaborative working with Heather from Tissue Viability on this initiative which will have a positive impact for patients and nurses boardwide.”

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Executive Director of Nursing Professor Angela Wallace said: “This is such a brilliant achievement and I am delighted to see the nurses and the team at the Vale of Leven leading the way.  Reducing avoidable pressure injuries is an area for nurses that we will always continue to focus on relentlessly and we will continue to progress this work across our Health and Social Care system.”

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