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The impact on patients of a nurse-led clinical service in gastroenterology.
Br J Nurs. 2017 Jul 13;26(13):734-738
Authors: Tan M, Menon S, Black D
Abstract
Higher rates of chronic liver disease have resulted in a significant increase in the number of patients needing regular abdominal paracentesis for ascites. Waiting times for admission at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust had become longer and delays in intervention and treatment became inevitable. In 2014, the Trust developed a nurse-led abdominal paracentesis day-case service. A qualitative evaluation of the service was conducted using in-depth patient interviews and surveys to determine the impact of the service, including how the new nursing role affected the patient experience. The results show that the nurse-led clinical service in gastroenterology positively impacts patients' experiences. Following this innovation, the service was extended to provide intravenous infusions for gastroenterology patients via the day-case unit. With appropriate training and competency assessments, nurses can now perform selected medical procedures safely and effectively, thereby facilitating nursing staff to expand and develop their roles. This development has substantial implications for nursing and is an important contribution to the debate on the future direction of the nursing profession.
PMID: 28704084 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]