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TheNURSE ADVOCATE

CONTENTS

By Nurses for Nurses Issue 4. November 2013

Evidence Based Practice: 1The Importance of ReviewingExisting Literature

How to Survive your Shift 2

Nursing Executive Notice 3Board

Meet our new Executive 3Nursing Team Members

International Nursing News: 4Global Day of Action

Needlestick Injuries: 4A Needless Cost and an AvoidableBurden?

Service Overview: 6Bed Management

AL Khor Nurses Prepare 7for Clinical InformationSystem (CIS)

RH Host FIrst HMC 8Grand Rounds

HMC Nurses Lead Hotline 9Advisory Service

Nursing Education: 10Transforming Helthcare - Event

Learning from my 11Experiences

The Nurse Spotlight 11

Useful links 12

Giving the best care is central to the Nursing Strategy, but the only way of knowing what the best care is, is to look at the evidence base. What does the literature and research say about the topic in question and how does it change or support the care that you give?

Not all of us want to become researchers, however, every nurse should know how to search for and review evidence. I therefore would advocate that the nursing community use the library resources available to learn how to search the literature and evidence databases.

Establishing a unit journal club is an excellent way for nurses to evaluate current literature. You can start this initiative through accessing a peer-reviewed journal, specific to your area of practice or care, in the library

EvidenceBasedPractice:TheImportanceof ReviewingExistingLiterature ByProfessorAnn-MarieCannaby–ExecutiveDirectorofCorporateNursing

or your current university. Having your peer group review and discuss the article will provide you with an opportunity to think about current practice and how the evidence influences the care that you provide to our patients.

Hamad Health Sciences Library (HHSL) is located in Hamad General Hospital. Please follow the link http://intranet/medical_library to view the full range of available e-journals, e-books, drug databases and additional resources. The HHSL offers a full range of programs and services to teach and assist users in developing the skills to effectively access information resources. To book places for an orientation to the library resources and computer labs please contact Chris on 44391730. The booking must then be confirmed by calling the library tutor on 44393838.

Additionally, the Nursing Education and Research Department provides an introduction to evidenced based practice class, which will assist you in learning more about available evidence sources and how to translate evidence into practice. I’m looking forward to seeing how patient care is impacted through your use of best practices and evidenced based practices.

Prof. Ann-Marie Cannaby,Executive Director of Corporate Nursing

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90 ounce intake (approximately 11 cups depending on size) of water per day.

4.Realignyourattitude,reinforce yourteam

Christine Slohe, RN, BSN, PHN, Emergency Room Nurse at St. Mary’s Medical Center, California, suggests that attitude is extremely important to energy levels. She suggests that remembering what you are there for – to positively help patients as part of your calling, is a contributing factor.

5.Makebreakscount

When you are on break, treat it as such and take some time for yourself. Ms. Turner recommends deep, mindful breaths as a way to come back to your center and to reenergize.

6.Don’tforgetthelongrun

Ms Turner also emphasized that long- term health, energy levels and making an investment in the bigger picture is very important as opposed to just trying to get through a single shift. She highlights that caring for yourself is important to being a caregiver.

Nursing is a demanding job and, as such, working an eight-hour shift in a hospital, can be both physically and psychologically tiring. Megan Murdock Krischk, a contributor at nursezone.com, identified some of the factors that contribute to a taxing nursing shift. These are:

• Patient load and acuity levels • Amount of ancillary staff support• Documentation requirements• Level of co-worker/provider engagement• Ability to take breaks and make nutritious food choices • Personal health status• Ergonomics (study of workers’ efficiency) of the work environment• Type of flooring and shoes worn• Available patient handling assistance devices• Shift schedule

In a recent article entitled ‘How to Stay Energized Throughout Your Nursing Shift’, Ms. Krischk consulted a number of clinical health and wellness experts to ask for tips and advice for nurses who are finding the daily schedule difficult to manage. The following advice was recommended:

1.Controlwhatyoucancontrol Dan Donahue, MEd, Director of Employee Health and Wellness at Providence St Peter Hospital, Washington, explains that there are many things outside of your control but that there is always an element that you can control. For example, you can’t control patient load and acuity levels but you can use assistive devices where they are available; you can’t control shift timing but you can try to maintain a regular routine wherever possible; you have no say in the materials used for the flooring but you can buy a comfortable pair of shoes. He stresses that you should control whatever you can.

HowtoSurviveyourShift ResearchedbyKristineLuzano.SN.HGH

"Iknowit'sbeenaroughshift,butlookatthebrightside...only7hourstogo."

About a Nurse

2.Focusoneatingandmovement

Cathy Turner, MS, Director of Health Promotion at Virginia Hospital Center, highlighted that eating well and paying attention to movement are essential elements that nurses should consider to maintain good energy levels. She advises that regular meals are needed and energy boosting snacks should be taken in between – such as fruit or cheese. She recommends that foods high in protein are good because they take longer to digest and therefore provide energy over a longer period. In terms of movement, Ms. Turner explains that exercise is shorts bursts, such as yoga poses at your workstation or utilizing the stairs or your chair for exercises are all good options. Note, health and safety should always be a primary consideration. 3.Bewiseaboutcaffeineandenergy drinks

It is not advised to get your energy levels from caffeine or energy drinks. Caffeine should be consumed moderately explained Mr. Donahue. He recommends that hydration is key and advises a

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NURSING EXECUTIVE NOTICE BOARD

StarsofexcellenceOn November 16th, HMC will be recognizing its stars of excellence at a gala dinner at the Qatar National Convention Center.The impressive stars of excellence ceremony recognizes achievements which align to one of the pillars of HMC; health, research and education.A total of 250 nominations were received and reviewed this year. The highlight of the awards ceremony will be the presentation of the prestigious Managing Directors award for the most outstanding project of 2012.How many stars will your department be awarded this year? Winning nursing projects will be highlighted in the coming issues of ‘The Nurse Advocate’.

SavetheDate:NursingCompetencyFrameworkSave the date: November 17th & 18th.Corporate Nursing will be launching the newNursing Career Framework over two days andwe would like to invite you to attend one ofthe provided sessions. There are eight sessionsin total. Each session will consist of a 30 minute presentation, delivered by Professor Ann-Marie Cannaby, followed by a 15 minute question and answer forum. Following the session, attendees will have an opportunity to explore the framework in more detail by the club hotel pool, where several booths will be set up. A link to the registration page has been emailed out from Corporate Nursing on Nov 9th. Registration is limited to 200 seats per session so make sure you register soon.

ANCCAccreditationReviewA team from the American Nursing Credentialing Centre (ANCC) will be in HMC from November 10th – 14th. The ANCC team will be evaluating our current educational portfolio against their criteria, with the aspiration of HMC becoming a certified provider in the summer of 2014.

PalaceNursingOfficeCorporate Nursing has recently taken the responsibility of the administration and provision of the palace nursing service for HMC. The newly created office is located within Corporate Nursing, on the third floor of building 22A. An overview of the newly developed program will be highlighted in an upcoming issue.

MeetournewExecutiveNursingTeamMembers

Ms.Elizabeth(Liz)AnnThiebe is the Assistant Executive Director of Nursing for the Ambulatory and Minimally Invasive Surgery (AMIS) Hospital. Liz has a strong record of operational management, leading change and managing large and complex projects. Her clinical background and managerial skillsets have enabled her to work successfully with both clinical and non-clinical leaders and staff to improve the quality of care delivered. Her experience at the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and The King’s Fund has augmented her skills as she has developed effective strategies and products to enhance the impact of care processes on

ProfessorAnnieTopping is the Assistant Executive Director of Nursing, Nurse Education at HMC. She is responsible for the educational provision that underpins the delivery of high quality evidence-based care by the Corporation’s 8,000 plus nursing and midwifery staff. The programmes offered by the Department of Nursing Education and Research are aligned to the needs of the workforce and organization, national policy and delivered to international standards. Our ambition is to be recognized nationally, and internationally, for excellence as a provider of in-service and continuing professional education.

Annie trained as a Registered Nurse (RN), working largely in general surgery and intensive care before becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Senior Nurse in cancer nursing at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London. In the 1990s she began a second career in higher education and has held a number of posts, including Head of Nursing at the University of Bradford, and more recently Professor of Nursing and Director of the Centre for Health & Social Care Research at the University of Huddersfield where she is now a Visiting Professor. She has published widely and is a member of the editorial boards of Contemporary Nurse and Journal of Research in Nursing. Annie also reviews for a number of academic journals, conference scientific committees, grant awarding bodies and is an expert member of a Research Ethics Committee.

Using the powerful combination of education

and research to improve care delivery is what drives Annie’s work. From her first empirical study exploring the meaning of stoma formation to individuals with pelvic cancer, to her more recent work understanding why people delay seeking medical attention with cancer symptoms, her focus is on improving care and translating findings into care delivery. Annie is also committed to supporting nurses interested in combining research, practice and education roles. Prior to arriving in Qatar she chaired the development of a mentorship scheme to support nurses and allied health professionals aspiring to develop clinical academic careers (http://www.healthresearchmentor.org.uk/website/ ). She is also a key member of a European collaboration recently awarded a grant of €250,000 to develop and test an evidence-based nurse educator competency model in simulation-based learning.

the patient experience. Liz’s creativity and ability to innovate has supported the significant outputs in her various roles. She has extensive experience in designing, planning and managing day surgical and medical services within a successful Magnet Hospital in Massachusetts. She also possesses international experience having worked with clinical staff in Portugal, Libya, UK and the USA.

Liz began her career as a Registered Nurse in Boston, Massachusetts. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and an MBA. She has worked as an Operation Director for a large integrated delivery system in Massachusetts; through this role Liz developed expertise in facility design, efficiency and patient-centered care. She led the design teams for many new buildings and hospitals, including a large private finance initiative (PFI) in Coventry, UK where she worked as the Executive Director for Service Design. Liz has worked at the NHS Institute as Head of the Productive Series, which included leading the development of the Productive Ward and Productive Community Hospital. She has applied her practical management and leadership skills to the discipline of leadership development as Head of Programmes and Director for Leadership Development at The King's Fund. Most recently Liz held two posts, Fellow of the Center for Innovation at the University of Southampton and Director for the Foundation Trust QIPP support programme through the NHS Leadership Academy.

Nurses and healthcare workers from 13 countries took part in a coordinated day of action to stand up for or against a number of health service related issues. The collective causes were the global opposition to austerity measures and cuts in healthcare services and the support for improved patient care and economic healing and recovery. The countries who took part in the Global Day of Action and a brief description of their activities were as follows:

• USA – a march in New York to push for ‘Robin Hood Tax’ (a tax on financial speculation).• Australia – nurses rallied across Sydney for better nurse to patient ratios and less budget cuts.• Honduras – thousands rallied for improved patient care in public hospitals and the hiring of more nurses.

InternationalNursingNews:GlobalDayofAction

• Dominican Republic – groups called on the government to increase funding for vital public health services.• South Korea – nurses and allies marched at the Korean National Assembly in Seoul – opposing austerity and supporting the introduction of Robin Hood Tax.• Canada – nurses rallied in Calgary, Alberta, against cuts in the provincial healthcare system.• Guatemala – thousands opposed austerity measures and supported the passing of Robin Hood Tax.• Argentina – groups demanded full funding of public healthcare, respect for the rights of nurses and other healthcare workers. Support for the Robin Hood Tax.• Costa Rica – healthcare workers

rallied for nurses’ rights. A demand is being made for fully funded government healthcare.• South Africa – nurses continued a petition to oppose austerity measures and support the Robin Hood tax. • Brazil – rallied to support a law to limit working hours of all nursing professionals to 30 hours a week along with improved working conditions.• Nurses and health workers in the Philippines and Ireland also participated in the global day of action.

For more details on this story: http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/blog/entry/global-day-of-action-by-nurses-healthcare-workers-in-13-countries

NeedlestickInjuries:ANeedlessCostandanAvoidableBurden? Researchedby:KristineS.Luzano,SN,HGH.

On August 26th, 2013, Safe in Common (SIC), a non-profit organization that represents healthcare personnel, industry leaders, policymakers and scientists, highlighted that needlestick and sharps

"These completely preventable injuries, needless cost burdens on the healthcare system, and psychological trauma inflicted on personnel, are startling when safer equipment and smarter work

injuries affect more than half a million healthcare personnel every year, creating over $1 billion in preventable healthcare costs and an immeasurable emotional toll on millions of healthcare personnel.

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practices are available to personnel across the healthcare spectrum." Said Safe in Common Chairperson, Mary Foley, PhD, RN.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), healthcare workers can be at risk for needlestick or sharps injuries when they:

l Handle needles that must be taken apart or manipulated after usel Dispose of needles attached to tubingl Manipulate the needle in the clientl Recap a needlel Use needles or glass equipment to transfer body fluid between containersl Fail to dispose of used needles in puncture-resistant sharps containersl Lack proper workstations for procedures using sharpsl Work quicklyl Bump into a needle, a sharp, or another worker while either person is holding a sharp

Whatcanyoudotoavoidneedlestickinjuries:

l Avoid using needles whenever safe and effective alternatives are availablel Avoid recapping or bending needles that might be contaminatedl Plan for the safe handling and disposal of needles before usel Secure used sharps containers during transport to prevent spillingl Follow standard precautions, infection prevention, and general hygiene practices consistentlyl Participate in your employer’s blood borne pathogens training programl Help your employer select and evaluate devices with safety featuresl Use devices with safety features provided by your employerl Report any needlestick and other sharps injury immediately to your employer

FamiliarizeyourselfwithHMCpolicyandProcedure

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) recognizes the importance of promoting safety in this area and policies are in place

to give clear guidance to staff around needlestick injuries and related issues.

In the HMC policy ‘CL 7251: Management of Sharp Injuries and Exposures to Blood and Body Products’, which can be sourced on the staff intranet, HMC directs its staff on the correct process in the event of a sharps injury and/or blood and body fluid cross contamination. A mechanism is in place to ensure prompt reporting to facilitate urgent and proper management and subsequent follow up of exposed staff. An Occupational Health and Safety Program is also in place to provide a supportive and safe work environment for employees.

Whatshouldyoudoifyouexperienceasharporneedlestickinjuryintheworkplace?

l First-Aid shall be administered immediately after the exposure• Wash needlesticks and cuts with soap and water• Flush splashes to the nose, mouth, or skin with water• Irrigate eyes with clean water, saline, or sterile irrigantsl Report the incident to your supervisor:• Immediate supervisor for exposed nursing staff• Supervisor in-charge for ambulatory care services• The Infection Control Practitioner (ICP) in-charge of the area during working hours and the on-call ICP after working hours

l An Occurrence, Variance and Accident (OVA) report and Blood and Body Fluids Exposure Report Form shall be filled in and presented to the attending physician of the Staff Medical Center and/or Emergency Departmentl The exposed staff member should act as follows, (depending on hospital location)• For Hamad General Hospital, Women’s Hospital, NCCCR, Rumailah Hospital, Heart Hospital, and Al Wakra Hospital - report to the to the Staff Medical Center of Hamad General Hospital during working hours (07:00 AM to 15:00 PM) and the Emergency Department after working hours, weekends, and on holidays• For Al Khor Hospital - report to the Employee Health Clinic of Al Khor Hospital during the morning shift (08:00 AM to 01:00 PM) and the Emergency Department of Al Khor Hospital after 01:00 PM, and on weekends and holidays• For Cuban Hospital – report, at any time, to the Cuban hospital Emergency Department for initial evaluationl The Staff Medical Center physician and on-call Emergency Department physician shall attend to the exposed staff and perform an initial risk assessment, request necessary investigations, and consult the infectious disease physician on- call

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“Hospitals are in the business of helping people and we know that the first step in receiving a new patient is getting him or her in a bed. Within the world of surgical operations and medical diagnostics, bed management may seem a simple task, but anyone working within the healthcare industry knows this is not the case. Effective bed management in a hospital requires timely coordination among staff members in all areas of care, including: patient placement, clinical, nursing, environmental services, admission, and patient transportation.” Mr Dawoud Jamous – DON HGH Bed Management

What is the Bed Management Department’s scope of service?At its most basic, bed management is the safe allocation of all admissions across the hospital. The main scope of service for the Bed Management Department is admitting and allocating elective and emergency patients to the appropriate inpatient area where they can receive the appropriate care in a timely fashion.

ServiceOverview:BedManagement ResearchedBy:Mr.DawoudJamous,RN,MSN,DONHGHBedManagement

What is bed management’s mission?The Bed Management Department’s mission is to facilitate optimal care. They realize that optimal care can only be delivered when the RIGHT patient is in the RIGHT place with the RIGHT healthcare provider, receiving the RIGHT level of care at the RIGHT time. Their role is instrumental to effective coordination.

Mr. Dawoud Jamous explains;“As bed managers, our goals are to improve elective and emergency patient flows effectively and efficiently, allowing for optimal utilization of available resources. We also aim to improve the overall patient experience. Our bed managers are trained to actively manage demand patterns and resolving short term conflicts as they arise. We also work closely with colleagues form other HMC facilities ensuring safe transfers of patients between sites and utilizing all available capacity such as home care, long term residential services etc. and provide continuity of patient care services in the hospital and ensure

coordination among Healthcare providers involved in the care of the patients.”

What are the most prominent contributions of bed management in hospitals?As healthcare providers, our clients are our patients and their healthcare needs are our priority. Effective bed management ensures patient safety and satisfaction by:

• Improving both elective and emergency patient flows • Decreasing outliers• Decreasing length of stay• Decreasing waiting time in the Emergency Department • Decreasing cancellation of elective admissions• Enhancing the distribution of equipment and staff• Ensuring the admission of patients to the appropriate departments

Are bed manager’s available any time?Bed managers are available to deal with both emergency and scheduled patients 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.

What would be a typical activity for a Director of Nursing (DON) in Bed Management?Capacity meetings (huddles) are important for effective coordination and are conducted daily. These meetings allow bed management departments to predict capacity and demand and set up an action plan to start each day. Multidisciplinary rounds are also undertaken. A DON in Bed Management is responsible for setting up plans and putting forward proposals for new manpower and bed management structures. An important part of this role is also to define indicators which allow the monitoring of patient flow and management infrastructure in relation to clinical pathway and protocols etc.

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Heavy volumes of patient medical records, full of hand-written notes, printed test results and medication history have been the standard of record keeping for most healthcare providers, world-wide, for many years. As the world develops, so does our access to technology, which brings with it new and exciting ways to carry out our work as effectively as we can, to ensure the highest standard of care for our patients.

An exciting transformation from those weighty paper records to efficient digital record keeping is soon to commence at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). Nursing, as a large portion of the HMC workforce, will be involved in this

AlKhorNursesPrepareforClinicalInformationSystems(CIS) ResearchedbyJishaMariumJose.SN.AlKhorHospital

change which will see an improvement in our quality of care and patient safety benefits, a reduction in record errors and will provide a shared communication channel between healthcare providers, without the physical transfer of paper files.

The new system is referred to as CIS (Clinical Information Systems) and a great deal of hard work has been carried out to date to prepare for its implementation. Al Khor Hospital (AKH) and its nurses have played a valuable part in this preparation; the knowledgeable and experienced senior nursing staff have been consulted as subject matter experts (SME’s). The SME’s represent

their respective departments and share experiences with regards to departmental workflow which has been invaluable in the planning stages to ensure that the new system meets the requirements of HMC. The SME’s have also been attending workshops since May 2012 - working with the providers to contribute to making the transition a successful one.

Training for other AKH staff and all HMC staff involved in record keeping will take place over the coming months with the support of the SME’s and appointed super users. The CIS system is expected to go live early in 2014.

Rumailah Hospital is the first HMC hospital to introduce Nursing Grand Rounds (NGR). NGR’s are workshops which have been developed to provide an opportunity for HMC nurses to share experiences and achievements in clinical expertise and evidence based best practice. The project was initiated by the Nursing Work Force Committee, in coordination with the Nursing Education Department, DON’s, head nurses and staff nurses. The main aims of the NGR workshops are to aid the development of nursing research activities to continue to improve patient care and enhance the patient experience.

Ms. Ruby Santander, acting AEDON at Rumailah Hospital, stated, “We are equipped with intricate knowledge of the physiology of the human system, and the effect of the disease process on the human body. This knowledge, and our ability to widen it and share it with our colleagues, enhances the delivery of care we provide.”

The topic of the first NGR workshop, held on September 26th, highlighted the case of a patient with tongue

RumailahHospitalHostsFirstHMCNursingGrandRounds ResearchedbyMs.RitzePalmaresSiason–SN/OU–RH

cancer and addressed several aspects of the rare medical condition, such as clinical examination, medication, medical tests and nursing care interventions. Front line nurses, Mr. Ralph Christian C. Villar RN and Mr. Franclin G. Pineda RN, presented the case to the group.

The patient whose case was the focus of discussion was also present at the workshop, to widen the discussion to the patient experience. While expressing his thoughts about the treatment and the service he was provided, the patient expressed his gratitude for the high quality of care he received. “I will never forget the role of the nurses who gave me the best healthcare services during my stay at Rumailah Hospital,” he said. The patient was awarded a certificate of appreciation for his involvement in the event by Mr. Maqsood Ibrahim Adam, Acting CEO, on behalf of the Rumailah Hospital Nurse Leaders.

Mr. Tawfiq Elraoush, Senior Nursing Educator at HMC, said the workshop is an example of HMC fulfilling the objectives outlined in the Nursing

Strategy, and specifically objectives related to improving nursing competencies and HMC’s goal of becoming an Academic Health System. “While we strive to make real improvements in facilities and healthcare services, we believe it is important to assign the nurses to perform more specialized duties that will assist in steering HMC’s transformation and ensure our patients are provided with the best healthcare services,” said Mr. Elraoush.

The first Nursing Grand Rounds held at Rumailah Hospital were a success and we extend a thank you to the all of the nurses involved in making this a well-organized event which will act as a marker for future NGR’s. A special mention to the following nurse educators who have been praised for their contribution and active support at Rumailah: Ms. Jane Lam and Ms. Ludy Senoc, Nurse Educators under the leadership of Ms. Nazila Yousef Afghani, DON, and the Surgical Head Nurses.

NGR’s will be held in all HMC hospitals on a quarterly basis.

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The Hotline Advisory Service is a communication facility led by registered and experienced pediatric nurses, in collaboration with physicians. It is available 24 hours a day and aims to provide the families of pediatric out-patients with information in response to their queries or concerns. The service offers advice for all child patients from newborn to 13 years of age.

The overall objective of the Hotline Advisory Service is to:l Provide a quick and appropriate response to common pediatric illness and disease queriesl Reduce unnecessary trips to the Pediatric Emergency Centers (PEC) for the convenience of the patient and their familyl Reduce the amount of patients visiting the PEC who do not need

HMCNursesLeadHotlineAdvisoryService ResearchedbyRoshiniAbraham,RNandJyothi.H.Shadakshraiah,RN.PECAlSadd

emergency treatment to allow for priority care.

The nurses involved in the Hotline work under the guidance of the DON and Head Nurse at the Al Sadd PEC, where they have been based since 2007. The nurses are all appropriately trained to handle telephone queries and they follow the guidelines of the Pediatric Telephone Protocol which was published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The nurses receive calls from around Qatar and even receive occasional calls from different parts of the world. Generally, they can assist their callers in a single call; however, some of their work involves following up calls to check on the condition of the children – this is to ensure safety and that the advice given was effective and appropriate. Even over the telephone,

nurses can save a child’s life.

The types of calls nurses receive can be varied. Queries can range from a discussion of symptoms to questions about medicines, diet, drug dilutions and vaccinations. In some cases, a patient’s inquiry needs to be directed to a physician, in which case the answering nurse seeks more information and calls back.

Nurses involved in the Hotline are very passionate about the service and the help it gives. They are proud of their role in this service.

“We thank our higher authorities, who gave us an opportunity to provide care in this way as we feel it is both effective and allows us, as nurses, to contribute further to excellent patient care,” Explained Jyothi H. Shadakshraiah, RN, Al Sadd PEC.

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About 140 nurses and nursing educators from across Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) recently gathered at Hajar Auditorium to celebrate the role of Nursing Education in Transforming Healthcare. The participants renewed their commitment to preparing HMC nurses to meet future healthcare challenges and continue to provide the best, evidence-based care in line with internationally recognized standards.

The celebration included speeches from senior nursing executives and presentations from nursing educators on the progress and accomplishments gained in nursing education in different departments across HMC.

The event was organized by the Department of Nursing Education (NER) who represents a centralized nursing education service, which falls directly under Corporate Nursing Services and provides educational support and expertise to all nursing departments within HMC. The Department’s multicultural workforce comprises administrative assistants and nurse educators with strong interdepartmental links throughout the hospital to clinical nurse specialists and advance practice nurses.

The Department is engaged in

NursingEducation:TransformingHealthcare-Event: Researchedby:Mr.MarwanMohammadAhmadHamad,RN,BSN,ENB100,MSNursingSpecialistPractice A/Director-DepartmentofNursingEducationandResearch

EducationalResources:

the design, implementation and evaluation of both formal and informal nurse education, focusing on general orientation, competence assessment, evaluation, in-service training and continuing education. NER is currently undertaking an exciting transformation to meet international standards of nursing education. Our specific competency-based programs are designed to fulfill each clinical specialty’s requirements and are carefully tailored toward both new and experienced nurses.

Here at NER, we are committed to preparing the current and future nursing population with exemplary skills and knowledge that contribute to the delivery of the highest possible quality patient care and optimal outcomes by provision of ongoing, competency-based, clinical educational activities. We strive to achieve excellence in nursing education.

MentalHealth:ContinuingEducation:Researched by Jennifer Louise Johnson, Senior Nurse Educator, Nursing Education Department in collaboration with Simon Nhleko, DON Mental Health Services, Rumailah Hospital

The Nursing Education Department has recently offered two programs to nurses within the Mental Health

Department at Rumailah Hospital:

• Psychiatric Nursing Introductory Course (PNO) • Psychiatric Nursing Interventions Course (PNI)

As of the 31st of August 2013, 98% of the nurses at Rumailah have successfully completed the introductory course, which covers developing therapeutic nurse/patient relationships, patient advocacy, client assessment and managing the crisis situations of suicide and violence.

70% of the nurses have completed the interventions course and have passed the related competencies to run activity groups, provide mental health education and nurse counseling, among other interventions. The remaining 30% are expected to have completed this within the next 6 months and will be supported to do so.

The Department has welcomed the arrival of their first clinical nurse specialist and three nurses with Masters Degrees in Psychiatric Nursing. The Department’s existing nurses are embracing opportunities for education and improvement to meet the challenges of the future and to provide the best possible care to HMC patients.

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I have learnt that to be a good nurse I have to always be learning from my experiences and be prepared to adapt to improve the way I work. Effective, efficient and proficient delivery of patient care is my primary concern, but in order to do that there are many elements I have to consider and many skills that I have had to develop. I believe that the greatest challenge of nursing is providing optimum patient care coupled with a large amount of multi-tasking, often in a high stress environment.

I have learnt that being organized and having good time management skills is essential as these are transferable skills that will help me wherever I go and in whatever role I undertake. I discovered this recently when I transferred from one healthcare facility to a new one.

I have learnt that it is ok to ask for help from colleagues but to be mindful that my colleagues are also very busy. Asking

Learningfrommyexperiences ByMosmeraSendad,StaffNurse.PECAlDaayen

for help or assistance has been essential to me at times when I have had to meet deadlines and teamwork is a very important part of nursing, but I know that it is important to know your own role and not to burden colleagues with tasks that are not their responsibility.

I have learnt that being organized with documentation is vital as paperwork and records are often an important part of communication between nurses and clinicians. I cannot deny that I find the paperwork a challenging part of my role but I am always diligent in the completion of such things to make sure that I am providing my patients with the best possible service.

As a nurse, I have had to learn from my experiences of having conflicts with co-workers. The most important lesson I have learnt is that dealing with issues honestly, without being overly defensive are important qualities which will allow for quick resolutions and good

working relationships.

I have learnt that it is so important and very effective to trust your co-workers and to be trusted by them but that you have to earn your status by being a valuable team member. I have learnt that gossip and indirect communication is not conducive to the nurse role.

I have learnt that by realizing the importance of communication, collaboration and teamwork and working towards improving my contribution to those things, I am a better nurse. I am a better nurse because such things allow me to provide better care, they allow me to form effective working relationship and they give me professional satisfaction.

“Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved” - Mattie Stepanek, Author.

NurseSpotlight: Researched by Fatma Naji, Head Nurse. Al Wakra Hospital

Ms. Hana Al Soubaie has been a nurse for almost 37 years and is an outstanding example of a nurse leader who has been influential in the drive for positive change. During her career development, she has undertaken many leadership positions and her career has encompassed a broad range of experience in acute hospital, primary care and community nursing. Ms. Al Soubaie’s experience is as follows:

• 1976 – Joined HMC as a staff nurse at Rumailah Hospital (RH)• 1998 – Appointed as head nurse for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Hamad General Hospital (HGH)• 1992 to 2001 – Appointed as Assistant Director of Nursing for Accident & Emergency, Pediatric

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Emergency, Day Care Unit and Critical Care• Appointed as Senior Assistant Director of Nursing for Ambulatory Care until 2005• Joined the Community Healthcare Services under the authority of the Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHC) until the end of 2007• Between Jan 2008 and Oct 2009 - Appointed as Assistant Executive Director of Nursing for Ambulatory Care Services at HGH• Appointed as the Assistant Executive Director of Nursing for Al Wakra Hospital. This is her current role.

Whilst undertaking these roles, Ms Al Soubaie has made many notable contributions to important changes; these include:• Redesign and renovation of the Emergency Department at HGH• Commissioning of the emergency

satellites in 2009• She was the chairperson of the JCI ambulatory committee at HGH• Formulation of disaster plans for use in primary healthcare (PHC) – 2007• Formulation of job descriptions - 2007

When talking about her experience, Ms. Al Soubaie explains that the learning element of nursing is what keeps her motivated; “The wonderful thing about nursing is you never stop learning and this thirst for knowledge keeps me wishing to stay in the profession until I retire.” She adds that learning and sharing knowledge is not something that she ever gets tired of. “After all these years of nursing, I have a wealth of knowledge and enjoy sharing it with staff at all levels.”

When asked about her vision for at Al Wakra hospital she stated that “We

are committed to giving our nurses the support and tools to develop and enhance their clinical skills, while inspiring the nurse leaders of tomorrow. I am confident in saying that our healthcare services, our nurse work environment, our performance on quality indicators and our patient satisfaction are impressive and will continue to improve. “We all know that the work does not stop here.” She added.

Ms Al Soubaie has a positive message for the future and one which encourages her colleagues and peers to keep up their great work; “We will continue in our commitment to provide quality care in an environment of excellence and teamwork. Each of us is responsible for doing our best, keeping our commitments and sharing our knowledge to advance the mission of HMC.”

www.medscape.com/nursesThis site from WebMD offers journals, articles, nursing news, educational tools and a nurse’s perspective section where nurses write about their passion for the practice of nursing.

ww.rxlist.comRXlist is an online drug index resource with accurate and reliable pharmaceutical information on brand and generic drugs.

www.nurseceu.comExpand and update your knowledge from a directory of online continuity of education courses from this site.

www.nursing-theory.orgThis site is dedicated to providing nurses with information on nursing theories, theorists and models. Famous nurses with their legacy and bibliography are also available.

www.nursetogether.comEmpower. Encourage. Explore. This site offers encouragement for the nurse and their unique lifestyle. It empowers nurses in their professional development and provides opportunities to explore their careers.

Theinternetprovidesmanysourcesofinformationandnetworkingopportunities–especiallyfornurses:

USEFUL LINKS Researched by: Rezielyn Dorado Clanor. SN. Heart Hospital.

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About a Nurse