The valuable work of Pembrokeshire nurses in ensuring better patient care is being spotlighted at events taking place at hospitals across the county this week. In celebration of National Nurses Day, Hywel Dda NHS Trust is inviting members of the public to attend poster displays highlighting the innovative work carried out by local nurses that are making a real difference to healthcare in the county. The events have been taking place in Withybush Hospital's main corridor and at South Pembrokeshire Hospital Health and Social Care Resource Centre and Tenby Cottage Hospital and will continue until tomorrow (Saturday). Said Pembrokeshire's head of nursing and quality, Mrs. Chris Hayes: "Our nursing staff are continuously involved in creating and leading improved ways of working that the general public may not even be aware of. All this hard work brings about real improvements and benefits for patients. This display is an opportunity for local people to find out more about this work and the changes being brought about by local nurses." Nurses Day is an international event aimed at celebrating the nursing profession and spotlighting the vital role individual nurses play in improving and promoting healthcare. More than 15 examples of healthcare improvements brought about by local nurses will be featured in the Withybush Hospital display including: • New nurse-led wound clinics in five locations across Pembrokeshire to help patients care for wounds after leaving hospital. • The introduction of specialist nurses in the treatment of Hepatitis C. • The use of nurse-led clinics to provide quicker, more personal care for inflammatory bowel disease. • The role of chronic conditions nurse practitioners in teaching patients to manage long-term conditions. A district nurse care co-ordinator project, looking at the management of such patients, is also currently being piloted in Crymych and Newport. • A three-month pilot scheme studying the benefits of shared meal-times among mental health patients. • Developing a fast track service for patients with deep vein thrombosis. • Increasing the amount of time nurses spend directly caring for patients. • Withybush Hospital's Clean Your Hands campaign to help with infection control • The research role of the Wales Cancer Bank Nurse in creating a better understanding of this disease. • The role of a midwife in clinical risk management. • Other information about the standards of care in nursing and midwifery, safety around blood transfusions and the Trust's dignity and respect programme. Said Mrs. Hayes: "We would like as many people as possible to visit the display to find out first-hand what a real difference these nurse-led healthcare initiatives are making to real patients in Pembrokeshire. I think everyone will conclude that we all have a lot to thank them for."
