Bank shifts in ENT Outpatients, and a packed week of theory
Three bank shifts in ENT Outpatients at the University Hospital of Wales, then back to university for the liver, clinical decision-making and governance.
· 1 min read
This week started on the wards and ended in the lecture theatre.
ENT Outpatients
I began with three bank shifts in the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Outpatients Department at the University Hospital of Wales. Outpatient work is very different from a ward. Patients come in for a short appointment, often anxious about a diagnosis or procedure. Clinics have to run to time without anyone feeling rushed.
Supporting the multidisciplinary team in a specialist clinic is a great way to build skills. It means preparing rooms and equipment, supporting patients through examinations and procedures, and making sure everyone leaves knowing what happens next. It is also a reminder of how much of healthcare happens away from the inpatient bed.
Back at university
The rest of the week covered a varied set of topics:
- The liver. Its many functions and the conditions that commonly affect it. This is key knowledge for recognising and caring for patients with liver disease, who are often more unwell than they first appear.
- Teaching clinical skills. How to teach a practical skill well, building on the nurse educator module. Nurses teach every day: patients, families and colleagues.
- Accountability and professionalism. What it means to be a safe, accountable practitioner under the NMC Code. That includes being honest about the limits of your own knowledge and skills.
- Clinical decision-making. How we combine evidence, assessment and professional judgement to make safe, person-centred decisions, and how to explain the reasoning behind them.
- Clinical governance. The systems that keep care safe and effective and help it improve: audit, incident reporting, risk management and learning from when things go wrong.
Bringing it together
The theory and the shifts connect more than it might seem. In clinic I saw governance in action: checklists, documentation, and the routines that make a busy service safe. Every shift and every lecture moves me one step closer to the nurse I want to be.