SKIntelligence Wantage Nursing Care Home

Olga Parry – Deputy Manager

Nursing Home Background • Wantage Nursing Care Home is a purpose-built home which

provides nursing and dementia care.• Our highly trained and dedicated team is committed to

providing the highest standards of care in a comfortable ‘home from home’ environment.

• We have 50 beds (20 Nursing beds and 30 Dementia beds) • The team consists of the Home Manager, Deputy Manager,

the Nursing team (11 full time nurses and 4 part- time, 2 bank nurses) the Care team (6 full time senior carers 1 part-time senior carer, 21 full time carers and 4 part time carer, 6 bank carers on the care team) , the GP and community disciplines.

SKINtelligence Project Engagement • Myself, the Deputy Manager, and two members of our nursing

team attended the first phase of the IHI Quality Improvement workshops offered to us as part of the project.

• We were unable to attend the 2 day training event run by the project nurse.

• We are hoping to be able to attend the next round of training workshops provided by the project nurse.

Improvement methods used • As a direct result of attending the IHI Quality Improvement

workshops we are consistently carrying out: – Daily skin inspections – Daily reporting – Daily Safety Cross recording – Weekly weight reviews – GP reviews – Family reviewAnd we have successfully implemented the safety cross calendar, for pressure harm, within the home.

Compliance data collection tool- in use

Safety Cross – in use

Benefits • We have benefitted from the IHI workshops and are using the

methodologies to support best practice within the home. • Having the training material and resources on the Thames Valley

Health Knowledge Team website is very useful. • The project has raised awareness within the home and resulted in

improved carers reporting , prompt RGN responses, and open communication with the GP, family and residents.

Reflections and Successes• Reflections:

– All staff should feel humble enough to take step forward and learn new information, methods and should feel Zero tolerance to avoidable pressure harm.

– We should continue the training how to prevent pressure harm, and include it in our induction process as compulsory at local level.

– Some RGN require more support and understanding of physiology and equipment usage to prevention of tissue damage.

– More emphasis should be placed on prevention than on cure or treatment.

• Successes – We are managing complex cases and frailty to avoid pressure harm

Reporting and prompt action on reporting is supporting us in managing avoidable harm. Care team communication has improved.

– There were over 28 days since last avoidable pressure ulcer

Barriers and Lessons Learnt• Barriers

– Different skill set and level of knowledge within lead team of nurses and senior carers.

• Lessons Learnt – Implementation of changes, and uplift standard and quality requires

patience, team work and practice and the focus needs to be consistent and with commitment

– The driving force behind the adoption of change needs to be more then one or two people.