Acute Neurological Unit (ANU) – SRFTP 3

Placement Overview

Placement Title Acute Neurological Unit (ANU) – SRFTP 3
Trust
Your Placement Contact Katie Knowles – Send Email
Placement Contact’s Role
Placement Address Hope Hospital, Stott Lane, Salford, M6 8HD
Placement City/Town: Salford
Placement Phone 0161 206 4586/7
Your University Contact: Nigel Cox, Sarah Ratcliffe – Send Email

About this placement

What is organised for students on commencement of placement?

The unit provides a service for patients from Salford, Trafford and specialist. Neuroscience services for patients from the Greater Manchester conurbation.

We aim to provide the most effective service for patients with neurological conditions. We pride ourselves on providing an open, friendly, good humoured and patient centred environment for those who attend the unit.

Services provided include diagnosis and management of a range of neurological and neurosurgical conditions, which include:

  • The ward endeavours to provide services, which meets the needs of the patient and provides flexible access to healthcare.
  • We forge excellent relations with members of the multi disciplinary team, which include, specialist nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and the medical and surgical teams.
  • The nursing team is responsible for coordinating, planning and implementing care, which leads to effective admission, streamlined service provision and planned discharge.

What are the arrangements for mentors/assessors?

Your mentor will usually greet you on your first day. They are expected to give you an orientation to the unit. You will also be given a student information pack / workbook and allocated time to read through both booklets. We advise that you contact the ward prior to the placement and the orientation booklet can be emailed to you so you know what the placement is about before attending. The off duty can be negotiated between you and your mentor. We advise that you work a minimum of 3 shifts with your mentor. Students remain supernumerary throughout their placement. You will be orientated to the unit and introduced to the staff on duty.

Time will be allocated for you to meet privately with your mentor to discuss the placement and your learning needs.

What shift patterns are students allocated for learning?

Early:

Late:

Night:

19.00 – 07.30

Shift Notes:

Normal Day Shift – 07.00 – 19.30

Where possible you will be expected to work the same shift pattern as your mentor. There is flexibility built into the off duty and you maybe rostered to work shifts such as 10 – 6 or 11 – 7 depending on the needs of the ward and in order to obtain your objectives. This is in line with the improving working lives document (DoH 1999). The off duty is done two weeks in advance. Please ensure that all study days and holidays are requested on the request sheet in the off duty. Department of Health (1999) Improving Working Lives. London. HMSO.

What patient care situations are available in this placement?

Ward ANU is a 27 bedded regional unit made up 5bays and 3 side rooms. We treat some of the rare neurological conditions including:

  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Epilepsy
  • Parkinsons disease
  • Motor Neurone Disease
  • Cerebrovascular disease
  • Dementia (Lewy Body, vascular)
  • CJD Myasthenia Gravis
  • Guillain Barre syndrome
  • CIDP

What nursing model is used for planning care?

Roper Logan and Tierney

What core clinical skills can be learnt?

  • Nursing admission
  • Care of patient and families/partners
  • Observations to include Neuro observations
  • Hand over of patients at the end of a shift
  • Record keeping and documentation
  • Interpretation of NMC Code of Professional Conduct and relationship to practice
  • Co-ordination and organisation of relevant investigations
  • Nursing role in investigative procedures i.e. lumbar puncture, muscle biopsy
  • Preparation and calculation and monitoring of Intravenous therapy
  • Preparation and administration of subcutaneous and intramuscularly injections
  • Assessment of patient regarding self administration of medication
  • The administration of medication
  • Liaising and referring to members of the multidisciplinary team
  • Primary care referrals
  • Discharge planning
  • Discharge
  • Pre-operative assessments
  • Insertion/removal of urinary catheter
  • Removal of sutures and clips
  • Pain assessment
  • IV Therapies
  • Catheterisation

What additional clinical skills can be learnt?

  • GCS
  • Neurological obsevations
  • Administering IVIG, IVMP and cytotoxic medicines
  • Apomorphine trials, bloods, MR and CT scan

What resources are available to help students learning?

  • information files
  • access to academic staff library and neurology library

What research and practice development activities are being undertaken?

Spoke Placements

During your placement you should spend time in other areas & with members of the inter disciplinary team. With your assessor, arrange days / half days in which to spend time in these other areas.

These experiences will help you achieve your learning outcomes. Record these days on the matrix above.

You can even arrange to spend time working on the other Neuro wards, this usually is better if you spend at least a week there to give you time to settle into the ward environment.

It may be helpful to follow a patient through their hospital stay, thus giving you an impression of how many areas that a patient may come into contact with during their time within Neurosciences these can be negotiated while on placement they range from:

  • neurophysiology: EEG, NCS, VEP etc
  • Videotelemetry
  • Neuro High Dependency Unit
  • CT
  • Specialist Nurses for MS, PD, MND, MG etc

You will be expected to do a reflection after attending spoke placements:

  • Angiogram Suite
  • Neuro. Theatre
  • MR Scan Theatres & Recovery
  • B8/B7
  • A3
  • C1
  • L1
  • NHDU ASU
  • C2 Neuro
  • OPD

Additional Information

Philosophy of Care – ANU

We will value and respect all clients who visit the ward and will strive to maintain a holistic approach to care, which acknowledges diversity in culture and in healthcare needs. Clients will be treated as people rather than patients, recognising that partners, family members, friends and carers deserve to be included in any care planning process. Care packages will be negotiated with clients on a firm basis of partnership, flexibility and informed choice. We recognise that coming into hospital is a stressful time and the nursing staff will work hard to support you through any treatment you may need. We aim to provide the highest quality of care possible, provided by knowledgeable and appropriately trained nursing team with reference to evidence-based practice. The care we provide will be underpinned by an understanding of the therapeutic aspects of humour with respect to the need for sensitivity and privacy when required.

Practice Development Lead: Mike Hollinshead – Pre-Registration Practice Education Facilitator, Learning & Development Dept, 2nd Floor, Mayo Building, SRFT

PEF email: PEFTeam@nca.nhs.uk