RD Vol 8 issue 27 Summer 2013 - Rotunda Hospital

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Tobacco Free CampusNo Butts PleaseThe Rotunda Hospital campus will be tobacco free for Charter Day, November 1 st , 2013.By Teresa McCluskey,Assistant Director of Midwifery/NursingOur health is influenced by many andvaried factors; where we live, wherewe grow up, our education to namea few. Social determinants such as housing,income, wealth and life opportunities havemost impact on our health.The health and social care policy, FutureHealth 2013 – 2016, aims to support a healthsystem where ‘money follows the patient’and to develop a universal health insurancesystem for the provision of high qualitypublically funded health services with a strongfocus on preventative medicine.The Health, Safety and Welfare at WorkAct 1989 and 2005 places a duty on both theemployer and employee to prevent risk tohealth at work as far as is reasonablypracticable.The Rotunda Hospital is a health promotinghospital and is committed to its responsibilitiesas a healthcare provider, not only to itspatients but also to staff and visitors.TobaccoTobacco in whatever form is legal and readilyaccessible in Ireland. The industry targetsyoung people and the marketing of tobaccotaps into gender stereotypes for examplewomen’s fears about weight gain and beingsocially acceptable. We need to emphasise towomen that by breaking the cycle of smokingthe social, economic and health benefits arepassed on, not only to the women themselves,but also to their family and children.Our multidisciplinary health careprofessionals must support women who arepregnant, and plan their care here at theRotunda:▪▪▪Know who is looking for help to quitsmokingBe firm and supportiveGive this group of women plenty ofinformationNo Butts PleaseThe Rotunda Hospital policy Tobacco FreeCampus aims to establish a healthyenvironment for all employees, patients,service users and visitors in all departmentsand on the grounds of the Rotunda Hospital,by protecting them from exposure toenvironmental tobacco smoke.The Executive Management Team andthe Board of Governors, support ourTobacco Free Campus initiative.The Rotunda Hospital will be tobaccofree for Charter Day, November 1 st , 2013The project committee held its inauguralmeeting on March 20 th . Our objective isto support staff, patients and visitors tode-normalize smoking throughout theRotunda Hospital campus thus makingsmoking an unacceptable practice on thegrounds of the hospital. Smoking atentrances and exits to the hospital, or onany part of the grounds of the hospital, willnot be allowed following the introductionof the smoking ban.Our responsibilities in this regard includesupporting our colleagues and patientsand user groups to give up smoking onRotunda Hospital grounds. Our healthpromotion office and occupational healthdepartment colleagues will support teamleaders in the campaign to stamp outsmoking and support those who wish tocease smoking and prevent exposure tosecond hand smoke.The Practice Development Departmentwill also schedule training sessions onBrief Intervention for Smoking Cessation.Did You Know?▪ There are approximately 7,000 deathsper year in Ireland from smokingrelated illnesses. This figure is broadlybroken down to ⅓ from cancer, ⅓from cardiovascular disease and ⅓from other lung diseases e.g. chronicobstructive pulmonary disease.▪ 1 in 2 people will die from a smokingrelated disease in Ireland.▪ The average number of years lostdue to smoking is 16 years.▪ Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000chemicals, including tar which cancause cancer.▪ Of cancers caused by smoking 4 outof 5 cases are lung cancer.▪ Lung cancer is the biggest cancerkiller in Ireland for both sexes.▪ Lung cancer death is more prevalentin women than breast cancer (NationalCancer Registry 2011).▪ 29% of people in Ireland smoke. Thisequates to 1 in 4 adults who are stillsmoking.6
Quality and SafetyPatient Safety DayBy Mary O’Reilly,Practice Development CoordinatorThe Rotunda Hospital held itsfirst Patient Safety AwarenessDay on May 15 th for all staff. Theidea to hold an awareness day came froma group of midwives and risk managementwho deal with patient safety issues daily.The aim of the day was to recognize theadvancements that have been made inpatient safety within the hospital, whileacknowledging the challenges that remainand a need for a commitment to work onthose challenges.According to WHO, one in ten patientsworldwide is harmed while receiving hospitalcare due to avoidable medical errors. TheClinical Risk Department highlighted variousongoing hospital processes and projectswhich manage risk. They gave examples ofhow information given by staff on incidentforms is used to improve hospital systems,for example heated cots were introduced as adirect outcome of information received on theincident forms. They also gave information onthe departmental patient safety meetings,improvements made as a result ofinvestigating incidents and Never Events.According to the National Patient Safetyagency there are 25 Never Events. They areserious, largely preventable incidents thatshould not occur if the available preventativemeasures are implemented. They range fromwrong site surgery, entrapment in bedrails,retained swabs, patient misidentification, todeath.Patient Safety at the RotundaTheatreStaff in theatre are consistently improvingthe quality of care and safety patients receivebefore, during and after surgery. As thepatient is prepared for surgery, detailedchecks are carried out to ensure theprocedure will run smoothly. Prior tocommencing the surgery a time out is calledand the full team do a check to make surethat everything is correct before proceedingwith the surgery. Likewise a detailed check isdone before the patient leaves theatre.SharpsThe European bio-safety network hasissued a European sharps directive toprovide protection for healthcare workersacross Europe. This law was enforced inIreland on May 11 th . The aim of this directiveis to achieve the safest working environmentfor healthcare workers through the preventionof sharps injuries. Over the past few monthsthe hospital has been looking at the manyinstruments in daily use that are classifiedas sharps. Each of these have been riskassessed and sharp safe replacements havebeen sourced. A number of these weredemonstrated throughout the day and willbe available in the clinical areas shortly.Patient IdentificationFailure to correctly identify patients canresult in medication errors, blood transfusionerrors, testing errors, wrong personprocedures, and indeed has the potentialto discharge infants to a wrong family.To display the need for correct patientidentification and not just a bed number,celebrity armbands were available forattendees to wear for the day, which proveda conversation topic and a strong awarenessof the need to remember patients are peoplenot numbers.Clinical AuditThe clinical audit facilitator was able to takethe mystery out of audit and displayed arecent audit carried out by our teenagemidwife highlighting that as a result of auditpositive changes in practice can occur. Wewere also fortunate to have a computerisedhand hygiene tool and a demonstration of a‘Hoover Board’ device for the safe transferof patient from trolley to bed. This devicewould be of huge benefit to the welfare ofstaff and patients as it eliminates the needfor the manual lifting of patients.HouseholdThe household department focused on theuse of new equipment to increase safetywhile cleaning floors.As we celebrated the day we got word ofan unexpected visitor. HIQA had arrived fora hygiene inspection of the hospital. Aspatient safety is a number one priority forthe hospital, we welcomed the opportunity tohighlight to our visitors that Rotunda staff arecommitted to safe patient care not only forone day of scrutiny, but every day of theweek, 52 weeks of the year.The safety committee would like to extendtheir thanks to everyone who supported themon the day. If anyone has any suggestions forthe next Patient Safety Awareness Day wewould love to hear from you.7
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RD Vol 8 issue 27 Summer 2013 - Rotunda Hospital

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