To kick things off, Rebecca Laurie, a Tissue Viability Nurse - Community takes us through a typical day supporting patients and empowering staff to deliver the best possible wound care.
"The role of tissue viability (TV) nurses is about so much more than just wound reviews. When a patient is referred to TV, it means that the community health and care teams have exhausted all the options available to them, and they need specialist support and advice on how to improve the wound and prevent future deterioration.
"In most cases, we are called in to support with housebound patients with complex needs, frail and vulnerable people, and those with physical and learning disabilities. We also support with care for residents in nursing and care homes and visit patients in GP practices to support the practice nurses."
A partnership approach
"Each referral to our team receives a comprehensive, holistic assessment. We problem solve, teach and support community health and care teams to provide the best possible, evidence-based wound care and implement prevention strategies.
"We coordinate with GPs, other specialities such as occupational therapists and physiotherapists, and commercial partners including residential homes on a daily basis to improve individual patient experience. We also work with partners to develop future plans for education and gold standard wound care and wound prevention."
Responding to referrals from across health and care
"At the start of each working day, I review the referrals for our area, which covers Mid Notts including Newark and Sherwood. As a two-person team – I and a tissue viability specialist nurse – we support all the district nursing teams, GP surgeries, nursing homes and mental health facilities in the area. We are very busy, receiving around 30-40 complex referrals a week.
"We review each referral against our acceptance criteria and prioritise them for a response. Before attending any pre-arranged visits, we aim to respond to any urgent referrals. For each, we complete a thorough review of the patient record and contact the relevant team to offer advice and arrange a joint visit if necessary. We can also speak to a GP to discuss hospital admission if needed."
Supporting colleagues with joint patient visits
"During the day I also join colleagues from other teams for around two to three visits, where I complete a complex assessment and treatment plan, taking into account individual needs. We use an evidenced-based approach, accompanied by teaching for the staff delivering patient care on wound healing, how the dressings are likely to work and preventative strategies for the future.
"This is a vital part of our role, as it’s an opportunity to enhance the patient’s and team’s knowledge and understanding of the care being provided – increasing the likelihood that patients will follow and benefit from our advice. The teaching offered to the staff will hopefully also empower them to embed this kind of care into their everyday practice."
Dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s
"We always document our visits, as it’s important to keep a complete record of patient care. We review previous interventions from the team, ongoing wound assessments and complete comprehensive specialist assessments. We also order any equipment that’s needed, liaise with GPs and hospital consultants and make referrals to safeguarding and the Care Quality Commission if needed."
A focus on improvements to patient care
"Our team works on service development initiatives which are all geared around developing the knowledge and skills of the teams we support, to improve care for patients.
"We deliver training to Trust teams and wider partners on wound, pressure ulcer and lower limb care including bespoke training for nursing homes, learning disability and mental health staff. This includes delivering the React to red and React to moisture series of training and guidance, and specific evaluation studies of dressings and equipment.
"Our role also includes developing wound care pathways, and constantly updating and producing literature for staff, patients, and care givers on all areas of wound care. We also update tissue viability policies and procedures, and take part in supporting or completing concise investigations in the Trust.
"Successful wound healing can change people’s quality of life around, and that remains our focus, whether we’re delivering care for today or planning improvements for tomorrow."
As a clinic specializing in wound care , we prioritize comprehensive wound assessment, patient comfort, and evidence-based treatments. Our experienced team understands that effective wound healing demands individualized care plans, diligent monitoring, and a commitment to infection prevention. Your well-being is our foremost concern throughout your healing journey.
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