University Hospital of Wales
Ward B7
Respiratory Medicine
Student Orientation pack
Name:…………………………………………………
Mentor:………………………………………………
Co- Mentor:……………………………………….
An Introduction
Welcome to B7. We hope your placement with us will not only be an enjoyable and
exciting one, but one in which you gain an insight into the nursing care and
management of patients with a range of respiratory conditions. On B7 we work 12 ½
hour shifts 7-7.30 days and nights. As we get a paid half hour break each day we are
required to pay back the 1.5 hrs we owe each week, therefore staff work a 6hr shift
every 4 weeks.
During your placement you will be allocated a mentor and a co-mentor who will work
with you, supervising and providing guidance and support throughout your stay. On
B7 we have a multi disciplinary approach in providing individualised care to the
patient and their family. This booklet provides you with an overview of the ward area and
the patients we care for on the ward
The Ward
Our Management team:
Ward Sister: Donna Akers
Deputy Ward Sister: Andrea Oliver
Deputy Charge Nurse: Neil Jenkins
The ward has a total of 36 beds, the areas are used for both male and female patients.
One of our cubicles is used for our Procedure Room, this area is used for elective
admissions and patients who need a procedure on the ward e.g. a chest drain inserted. Our
elective patients often stay on the ward for a day when needing medication monitoring or a
Radiology procedure.
B7 consultants are:
Dr. Barry, Dr. Hope-Gill, Dr. Buttress, Dr. Parry, Dr. Chishimba and Dr. Pink who
work along with a team of doctors working within the area.
Our consultants change on a monthly rota, we normally have two covering the ward
each month with one consultant looking after the patients on the North side and one
on the South.
We have Respiratory Nurses who support the staff on the ward with the specialist care that
some patients need. They include the use of Non Invasive Ventilation and Acute Bipap
Machines.
We also have another specialist team that work on the ward, the Community Respiratory
Resource Unit also known as CRRU. They help apon discharge with patients who need
follow up care in the community after discharge.
Our Nursing Philosophy of Care is:
This philosophy has been compiled by individuals you will be in contact with
during your stay on B7. The philosophy reflects our beliefs, values and
attitudes.
Our ultimate goal is to strive for excellence and to work as a team to provide
the best possible care for our patients.
Our aims are:
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We strive to be The Centre of Excellence for respiratory care in South
Wales.
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To provide a continuous high standard of respiratory and general
medical care to patients.
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To deliver patient care with compassion, safety and efficiency.
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To heal and care for patients, relatives and significant others in an
unprejudiced manner, with respect and politeness. Promoting the
patients autonomy and independence and allowing them to be partners
in their own treatment and care.
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To keep up to date with current research, only implement changes when
they are found to be beneficial in improving the quality of patient
outcomes.
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To maximise the resources available to B7 by adopting a
multidisciplinary approach to patient care.
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To promote ongoing education and personal development throughout
the multidisciplinary team, regardless of the individuals position or level
of experience.
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To expect that patients, relatives and significant others treat ward staff
with the respect and politeness which is shown the team.
Skills list for students
Ward B7 offers the student the opportunity to learn and improve many clinical
nursing skills. Here are some areas students may wish to focus on:
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Care of the dying patient and their family.
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Admission and discharge of patients: policies and practice
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Referral to other services – referral criteria and processes, e.g. Social
workers, physiotherapy, occupational therapy etc
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Care of the acutely unwell respiratory patient.
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Management of patient with long term respiratory conditions
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Multidisciplinary care of the medical patient
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Management roles, resources, decision making processes, essence of care
and other benchmarking processes
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Care of respiratory patients receiving acute and long term invasive ventilation.
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Caring for a patient with a tracheostomy.
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Care for a patient with a chest drain inserted.
Transferable Skills for students
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Use of NEWS scoring , and when to inform Medical Rapid Response Team
for intervention/ assessment - measurement and recording of observations
including blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturations, temperature and
respirations and how to interpret findings.
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You will learn about aseptic technique including catheterisation and wound
care.
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You will be involved with drug administration (orally, inhalation, subcutaneous,
intra-muscular and suppositories).
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Nutritional and tissue viability assessment including pressure area
management.
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Blood glucose testing and recording.
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The preparation and administration of insulin.
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Admission and Discharge/Transfer procedure.
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General hygiene, oral care, nutrition and hydration.
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Administration of oxygen and use of nebuliser therapy.
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Managing and preventing risk.
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Documentation.
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Patient assessment- Within 24 hours of admission, a patient should have had
the Activities of Daily Living assessment and a property disclaimer completed
in the admission booklet.
The following risk assessments need to be completed:
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Waterlow risk assessment (within 6 hours of admission,
Nutritional risk assessment (including weight recorded),
Pat-e-bac assessment,
Falls risk assessment.
Once completed, these assessments should highlight the need, if any for further
intervention, for example, Airwave/Repose mattress, referral to physiotherapy,
commencing a food chart, cot sides, crash mats etc.
We have some great learning material to support your time with us they can be
found by:
1. Using the CAV Web Intranet
Oxygen Service For Home > Emergency O2 Secondary Care.
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Oxgyen Therapy and Prescription- A presentation to read.
2. Using Google
www.brit-thoracic.org.uk –You will have access to various respiratory
guidelines used in the treatment of patients with respiratory diseases, e.g.
asthma and COPD.
Opportunities
There will also be opportunities for students to work with other members of the multidisciplinary team e.g:
Physio
Lung cancer
team at
Llandough
Pallative
Care
Team
NIV
O.T
Team
Some
Ideas!
Lung
Function
Clinic
Respiratory
Nurses
Bed
Manager
MRRT
CRRU
Team
Some of the procedures and investigations you may be able to observe include:
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Routine blood tests
Chest Drain insertion
Tracheostomy change
Setup on long term NIV
Arterial blood gases
CT, MRI and Ultrasound scans
Blood sugar monitoring
ECGs
Catheter insertion
Lumbar punctures
Urine testing
Wound cultures
VQ scans
OGD
Physiotherapy treatments
OT washing and dressing assessments / Home Visits
Speech and language assessments
Dietetic screening
Daily Routine
Remember, no day is the same as we care for a variety of different patients with
varying individual needs! Times are as a rough guide only!
7am Handover
The start of a shift begins with ‘handover’ or ‘report’ of patient information, this
promotes continuity of care and allows staff to review and plan care. Patients are
discussed with the nurse and health care support worker looking after that group of
patients. You will receive a printed document, detailing the patients on the ward. On
the ward we normally have two qualified and two NA’s on each end of the ward and
then we have one nurse and NA looking after the first four bedder each end. We also
have a shift co-ordinator on shift who allocates staff to work in the areas. The coordinator also runs the morning board round, organises admissions and discharges
and supports staff during the shift. At the end of the shift, the report must be
disposed of in our confidential waste bin near the reception desk.
7.30 – 12 noon
 Patients to be sat up ready for breakfast
 Breakfast/tea round – served by ward caterers, patients to be assisted as
required
 Medication round, including ordering new medications from pharmacy
 Washes, pressure area checks and bed making
 Restocking of the linen trolley
 Incontinence care and toileting, as required
 Observations
 Blood sugar monitoring prior to lunch
 Morning breaks to start at 10:30am – 30 minutes.
1200 Midday
 At this time all staff should be back on the ward to assist patients with their
food at lunch, this is to comply with our protected meal time procedure, this is
where we have no visitors on the ward and all staff are on hand to encourage
and help with feeding.
 Lunch and tea round – served by ward caterers, patients to be assisted as
required
 Medication round and updating of daily recording charts
 Update food charts
Afternoon
 Doctors' rounds/Physio/OT interventions, visits from specialist nurses
 Dressings
 Relevant referrals made and discharge planning,
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Incontinence care and toileting, as required
Pressure area checks
General tidy (clean down tables, wash any white trays, commodes ect)
Checking of oxygen and suction units – each bed side unit should have a
yanker sucker, green oxygen tubing and a non-re-breather mask.
Equipment re-stocking and ordering of equipment (e.g. bottles/bedpans, pads,
blood sugar monitoring equipment, thermometer covers... the list is endless!)
Documentation – including notes and monitoring/completing risk assessments
Blood sugar monitoring prior to tea
Afternoon breaks to start at 15:30 – 20 minutes
1700 hours
 All staff should be back on the ward to assist patients with their food at tea
time. We have protected meal times on the ward from 5-6pm.
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Evening meal and tea round- served by ward caterers, patients to be assisted
as required
Update food record charts
Medication round
Update handover sheet on the computer ready for night staff
Incontinence care and toileting, as required
Pressure area checks
Tidy ward
1900 hours
 Handover to night staff
 General clean and tidy up, removing potential hazards e.g. chairs, rubbish,
linen bags etc
2000 hours
 Settle and make patients comfortable for the night
 Observations
 Pressure area checks
 Incontinence care and toileting, as required
 Update/Add up fluid balance charts
 Empty catheters
 Attend to patient needs as required
 Medication round
Other Information
Referral Criteria/ Admission methods
Patients are admitted to B7 from A&E, MAU, other ward areas and other hospitals if
they have any acute respiratory problems.
Visiting Times
2-4 6-8pm. This is to ensure that patients are not disturbed at meal times.
Useful Telephone Numbers
Ward number – Reception: 47575/ 43809
North:
47574
South:
47573
Cardiac Arrest – 2222
Fire- 3333
Switchboard - 100
To use the Hospital Bleep System dial 181 then the person's bleep number that you
need to contact, then the extension number of the phone you’re using followed by #.
What you can expect from us
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You will receive an induction into your work area to ensure you are familiar
with the environment and are able to practice safely. You must find out the
location of the arrest trolley, portable oxygen and fire extinguishers and exits
on your first day.
You will discuss your learning needs and outcomes at the beginning of the
placement.
We will provide an environment conducive to meeting identified individual
student learning needs which are also safe and healthy.
During your placement you will be allocated a mentor to work alongside.
The mentor will be a qualified practitioner who will assist and support you
during your clinical work (at least 50% of your rota will be allocated alongside
your mentors).
Your mentor will assess your performance against your course learning
outcomes, and provide feedback to help you develop your skills.
You will receive supervision during your clinical practice.
You will be a valued member of the multidisciplinary team during your
placement, and can expect support from all your colleagues.
We will listen to your feedback about your placement and will respond to any
issues raised sensitively.
What we expect from you
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We expect you to arrive on time for planned shifts and any other activity
identified by the Mentor or delegated supervisor
We expect you to ensure your Mentor is aware of your learning outcomes for
the placement and specific learning needs
We expect you to act in a professional manner.
We expect you to dress in accordance with your University’s uniform policy,
and also in accordance with the Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust uniform policy (no
jewellery apart from stud earrings and wedding ring if applicable).
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You should inform your mentor or delegated person if you are unwell and not
able to attend your placement. Please do this as soon as possible prior to
your shift. You should also inform the University, as per guidelines.
We expect you to maintain and respect confidentiality and patient dignity at all
times. This applies to clients, their records and discussions between the
student and the Mentor.
We would like you to raise any issues regarding your placement with your
mentor. If this is not possible please speak to the deputy or Ward Manager
otherwise you should contact your link tutor / placement co-ordinator.
Induction Checklist
1. INTRODUCTION TO THE WORKPLACE TO BE COVERED ON DAY ONE OF
THE PLACEMENT
Introduction to other members of staff □
Allocation of mentor and key supervisors’ □
Brief tour of ward, department or work area, toilets, rest room, □
Restaurant, car parking etc □
Fire exits, alarms, and equipment and fire evacuation procedures and emergency
procedures□
How to report accidents to yourself, others or near miss □
Health and safety including infection control measures, □
Food hygiene, chemicals and physical hazards in the workplace □
Local arrangements for safe lifting and handling including equipment □
Telephone and bleeps – use and location □
Safe keeping of property – for staff and patients □
Confidentiality – personal and access to patient records etc □
2. TRUST AND LOCAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Location of and access to reference books, policies and standards: □
Risk Control Policies and Procedures Manual □
Accident Reporting □
Health and Safety □
Infection Control □
Needle Stick Injuries □
Fire Regulations and Procedures □
Confidentiality/Data Protection Act/Security of Information □
Human Resources e.g. Equality and Diversity/Disability/Bullying and Harassment,
Whistle blowing, disciplinary and grievance etc □
3. PLACEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Hours of work including shift work, flexi-time arrangements □
Reporting sickness absence and other absence □
Outline of duties and supervision □
Performance standards □
4. TRAINING NEEDS IDENTIFIED AND ACTIONS
Learning Outcomes for placement discussed □
Specific learning needs discussed □
Learning Resources available discussed □
I confirm that a local induction has been completed and all the topics have been
discussed and understood.
Student :_____________________
Mentor/Co Mentor:________________________