Ayrshire community nurses celebrate success
Community nursing teams from across Ayrshire came together at a special event to share how the many service developments and improvements are having a positive impact on local services.
Around 100 staff members from NHS Ayrshire & Arran and its three Health and Social Care Partnerships, gathered at Take A Bow in Kilmarnock for the ‘Celebrate Success’ event.
Guests heard firsthand how a number of new initiatives within community nursing in Ayrshire are enhancing local services to deliver real benefits, including:
the Rapid Respiratory Response team newly set up in 2021, takes a targeted and data driven approach to supporting Ayrshire COPD patients – aiming to avoid hospital admissions,
District Nurse Specialist Practitioners introduced in 2022 and are able to provide person centred care at a more advanced level within the community, and
the Community Treatment and Care (CTAC) service based in Ayrshire GP practices, building on the core strengths and values of general practice expertise in holistic and person centred care. CTAC offers a wide range of interventions based on local population needs.
It was also an opportunity to congratulate and extend a warm welcome to our new cohort of community nursing graduates who have recently completed the national Flying Start programme after qualifying in nursing last year.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran Associate Nurse Director Dalene Steele said: “This is a really exciting time for our teams and this event has been a fantastic way to share some of the amazing work that our professional and dedicated staff are involved in.
“We held a Community Nursing Review back in late 2021 and from that we’ve been able to really focus in on areas where things can be done better across Ayrshire by increasing collaboration and being prepared to try out new approaches.
“We’re looking at all sorts of areas – from procurement of wound dressings, to how teams make referrals in to District Nurses – and establishing new pathways for patients in our communities to best access the care they need in the place and at the time that they need it.
“For example our Rapid Respiratory Response team, which is an important part of the successful Flow Navigation Centre within our Urgent Care Service, is helping Ayrshire COPD patients stay at home where possible, improving self-management and providing specialist respiratory support during exacerbations.
“It’s been really inspiring to hear about the positive impact our innovative approaches are having not only for our teams but also for patients around Ayrshire.
“For our 19 newly qualified community nurses, we congratulate them all and wish them well as they go forward to make valuable contributions to teams throughout the region.”
Anyone based in Ayrshire who is considering a career within community nursing can email ClinicalDNEMISService@aapct.scot.nhs.uk for further information, support and guidance on the opportunities that are available.