RUH ED highly recommended despite pressures

Despite high levels of demand on the local healthcare system this summer, the quality of the service in the Emergency Department (ED) at the RUH remains high – with patient ratings keeping the RUH within the top ten in England for the first half of 2015.

Throughout 2014, the RUH was consistently rated as one of the top ten Emergency Departments in the country based on patient feedback, and in January 2015 – at the height of the most demanding period in NHS history – topped the list as the most highly recommended ED in the country. This is largely down to the close-knit and dedicated team who provide care in ED.

Lance Jukes is a Staff Nurse working in ED at the RUH. He said:

"When you work in ED, you are the first person a patient will see when they come to the hospital unwell or injured. You are dealing with people who are scared and often at their most vulnerable. You only get one chance at making a first impression – and that first impression will set the tone for the rest of that patient's journey through the hospital. Getting it right at the front door is vital. It takes a certain kind of person to meet that challenge.

"Although I came to ED armed with knowledge and experience from working as a qualified nurse in the Surgical Assessment Unit, it was still a nerve-wracking experience. It's completely different from nursing on the wards. In ED, you are seeing all patients 'fresh'.

"I can see where I want to go next with my career and my colleagues and supervisors have been very supportive in helping get me there. I want to become a Charge Nurse, so that's what I am working towards right now. I have also been involved in a Major Incidence Planning group – working together with my colleagues from the Ambulance Trusts on planning emergency responses to chemical, biological, and radioactive attacks.

"That's what I love about working at the RUH – if an opportunity arises that will help you to develop personally, and which could benefit our patients, you will be fully supported to take it."

Alex Upham came to nursing after a career in PR. He now works as an ED Charge Nurse at the RUH. He said: "Having worked in ED for five years, I still leave the department after a busy shift with that 'rush' and a feeling of deep satisfaction – knowing I have done a good job. We save lives. That might sound grand but it's true. And that's pretty remarkable."

We currently have a number of opportunities for Registered Staff Nurses to join the ED team. On Saturday 19 September, the hospital is holding an Open Day for nurses interested in joining the hospital's busy and innovative ED. Prospective candidates with current NMC registration and with experience of nursing in an acute hospital setting are invited to come in and visit the department, meet the staff who make up the close-knit and highly-skilled ED team, and find out how the RUH can support them in building a rewarding and progressive career in acute emergency medicine.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

• The ED Open Day will take place on Saturday 19 September from 10am until 2pm and is open to Band 5 Registered Nurses with at least a year's experience in an acute setting. Participants can register their interest by emailing Bradley on bradley.isaac@nhs.net
• Prospective candidates who are unable to attend the ED Open Day can still apply for the ED Staff Nurse vacancies by visiting the NHS Jobs site

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