Advance Nurse Practitioners in Tullamore Hospital are recognised this week for their contributions to patient-centred care.
What can we do to protect ourselves and those who are vulnerable this winter?
Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) Week, celebrated 13th -19th November 2023, is an annual international celebration which recognises the incredible contributions of ANP professionals.
ANPs are experienced clinicians and use their advanced education and clinical practice to provide optimum patient care through caseload management of acute and chronic illnesses across healthcare settings. ANP’s work both independently and in partnership with other healthcare professionals, pending the specific patient circumstance.
The Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore (MRHT) mark Advanced Practitioner Week 2023 with a series of awareness stands, educating and detailing the benefits of advanced practice on patient-centred care. Featured at the presentation during the week are ANP’s in the following specialities: Ear, Nose and Throat, Tissue Viability, Diabetes, Palliative Care, Emergency Department, Older Persons, Cardiology, Oncology, Haematology and Renal.
Eileen Whelan, Chief Director of Nursing & Midwifery & Quality at the Dublin Midland Hospital Group said: “This week we are celebrating the contribution that Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Advanced Midwife Practitioners have in providing high quality, person centred care across our hospitals.
Nurses and Midwives who work at advanced practice level have undertaken specialist education and supervised clinical practice at masters level. This enables this expert group to work independently or part of the wider multidisciplinary team where they provide a high quality service to include full assessment, ordering of diagnostic tests, treatment, onward referral to another specialist or discharge as appropriate and in line with agreed clinical pathways for patients.
There are over 161 ANPs & AMP’s across the seven Dublin Midlands Hospital Group hospitals and their focus is on providing care and treatment at the level most appropriate to the patient needs, inclusive of virtual clinics as appropriate.”
Louisea Bourke, Director of Nursing MRHT stated, “Advanced Nurse Practitioners provide high-quality patient-centred health care. Through the work of ANP’s patients receive timely access to specialty care services. Our ANP’s are experts in clinical practice and can provide a full range of services, such as ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests; diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions; prescribing medications and treatments; and in some circumstances, managing the full episode of patient care
Alice Farrelly, Frailty Advanced Nurse Practitioner MRHT and one of the ANP Week event organisers said “Because of the unique combination of medical and nursing expertise and skills that my colleagues and I have, when we review our patients, we emphasise the health and well-being of the whole person in our approach to their care. We help patients make educated health care decisions and healthy lifestyle choices that will benefit them now and in the future.”
She continues “Our patients are at times quite vulnerable due to acute and chronic conditions that they might have. There are plenty of lifestyle choices that you can make also to help you keep well, protect your health and mind yourself and your loved ones this winter.
This time of year we see an increase in colds, RSV, Flu and other viruses. Use the coming weeks to check you are up to date on vaccinations and limit contact with people with symptoms. We recommend the HSE common illnesses page to our patients for managing common colds, coughs, flu and earache that do not need an antibiotic and it’s a great resource for patients.”
HSE Tips and Advice on Staying Well This Winter
Prevention is always better than the cure. We know that it is better to ward off future illnesses and complications from existing conditions than deal with them when they have happened. There’s plenty that you can do to keep well, protect your health and mind yourself and your loved ones. It’s good to prepare a checklist for wellness this winter:
- Maintain good hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and social distancing where possible
- Make sure you are registered with a GP, check out the GP finder
- Know your urgent GP out-of-hours arrangements and contact details
Get vaccinated, this is the most effective way of preventing infections - Covid-19 Vaccine if you are 50 and over, immunocompromised and have long term health conditions. A booster vaccine is recommended during pregnancy. The Flu vaccine is recommended if you are 65 and over. The Children’s Flu Vaccine for 2-12 year olds is also available now. The pneumococcal vaccine (PPV23) which protects against pneumonia, septicaemia and meningitis is also available free of charge from participating GPs for people aged 65 and older. Vaccines for these people are free and available from the GP and pharmacy. Use the HSE pharmacy finder for vaccine clinics.
- Understand your medicines and ensure you have what you need
- The best advice with regard to injuries this winter is to avoid unnecessary risks if possible. If it is cold and icy, stay indoors
- Understand your symptoms and keep well, visit common illnesses
- Avoid people with any obvious symptoms and stay at home if you have symptoms yourself.
Be prepared - Know where to go Despite our best efforts, some of us will become ill over the winter. Depending on your illness, there are a number of treatment options open to you. Being prepared and knowing where to go will mean that you will get treated more quickly and will ease pressures on the healthcare system.
- Visit your local pharmacy for advice and treating the common cold
- Contact your family doctor as necessary
- The GP out-of-hours service is a high quality clinical service for urgent care.
- Emergency Departments treat seriously ill patients. Those with less severe injuries and symptoms may have to wait to be seen in emergency departments.
- Injury units treat injuries that are unlikely to need hospital admission. For example, broken bones, dislocated limbs, sprains and minor burns. Find out more about injury units.
Injury units can treat
- broken bones to legs, from knees to toes
- broken bones to arms, from collarbone (clavicle) to fingertips
- all sprains and strains
- minor facial injuries (including oral, dental and nasal injuries)
- minor scalds and burns
- wounds, bites, cuts, grazes and scalp lacerations (cuts)
- small abscesses and boils
- splinters and fish hooks
- foreign object in eyes, ears or nose
- minor head injuries (fully-conscious patients, who did not have loss of consciousness or vomit after the head injury).
Treating at home
You do not need an antibiotic if you have a viral infection. Antibiotics cannot treat viruses. Children will probably get a lot of respiratory illness this winter. Most can be managed at home with over-the-counter medicines.
You should:
- Rest
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Use medicine you buy from a pharmacy or shop without a prescription
- Go to How to keep well in winter for more advice.
- Advice specifically for children and babies is available here: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/colds-coughs-children/
Viral infections are very contagious. They can spread quickly before you notice the symptoms. It can be difficult to stop them spreading to people who are vulnerable. Most of the time you do not need to visit your GP. But trust your instincts. Bring your child to your GP if you are worried about them.
Useful tips for patients and families
- Stock the medicine cabinet: paracetamol, ibuprofen, nurofen, dioralyte and a thermometer;
- Patients who may need regular prescriptions are urged to get them filled on time
- People are advised to check their first aid boxes are well stocked to treat minor illness and injuries
- People should also check the HSE website for useful advice on common illnesses such as colds, coughs, flu, earache and sore throats
- If you are caring for someone that is terminally ill, please have medicines that are recommended by your Palliative Care team or GP for situations that could arise.
