Chief Nursing Officer Judy Dyos Goes Back to the Floor

Monday the 28^th June 2021 saw the first of the ‘Executive back to the floor’ sessions with seven of the Directors shadowing staff in services across the hospital. The Executives have committed to blogging about their visits each month. The first of which has come from the organiser, our Chief Nursing Officer Judy Dyos.

I had a really inspiring afternoon with the staff from the Plastics Outpatients department. The plastics team serve a very large geographical area across the south of England for a wide range of injuries and procedures. I started with observing a dressing clinic and met a gentleman who had a mole excised a week ago. Julie the nurse was able to reassure and advise him about how he manages his wound and kindly suggested that drumming in his band may have to wait another week, but he could go and play a round of golf! It is easy to forget the importance of helping patients to understand the activities they can return to after a treatment, but he was delighted that he would be able to get out and about.  

I joined the Clinical Nurse Specialist, Carol, to understand how we receive online referrals from hospitals across the south. She undertakes an instant review and is able to provide advice. We reviewed a scald injury of a patient in another hospital and she was able to assess it with uploaded photos, calculate the degree of the burn and advise admission for the patient. Having her expertise, with years of experience available immediately for any referrals, is such a great service and provides guidance for patients who reside far beyond the boundaries of Wiltshire.

I then spent some time in theatres observing surgery on a patient suffering a leg injury, this was done in the Outpatient theatre with the patient’s comfort being managed with a nerve block, saving him from needing a general anaesthetic. The anaesthetist Saj (who I had worked with back in Southampton Cardiac ICU many years ago) told me about the improved recovery and reduced length of stay from taking this approach. Our Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Slade Sharman also explained it had an improved pain management effect, and it also meant the patient did not need to go to main theatres, enabling other surgery to progress on the waiting list. It’s great to see how modernising our approach to anaesthesia at Salisbury has so many positive outcomes.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Bernice a Main Theatre Sister, who has been supporting the team in Outpatients so that they can continue to manage cases like this. She told me of some of the challenges they face and of many ideas that she has for training and education. I was really impressed by her positive attitude and I hope we can make sure her ideas are followed up with the Surgical Head of Nursing.

I am really grateful for the warm welcome I received and for the commitment of the staff I witnessed.

06 July 2021