Enhanced Care Unit at Sheffield hospital shortlisted for top nursing award
The Enhanced Care Unit at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted for a 2022 Nursing Times Award for excellence in Theatre and Surgical Nursing.
The Nursing Times Awards seek to shine a light on the brightest talent in the profession, showcasing outstanding innovations that are shaping and improving nurse-led care in the NHS. The unit has been chosen from hundreds of entries submitted from NHS organisations across the country.
The Enhanced Care Unit (ECU), a high dependency unit for surgical patients, was established at the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic to accommodate for the rising number of patients requiring monitored beds that would previously have been sent to critical care.
The ECU aims to improve quality of care for patients with monitoring, treatment or care needs which are greater than those on normal wards but are not expected to require critical care. Before the unit was established, many patients were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit due to there being no other alternative to monitor their conditions. The introduction of the ECU has therefore reduced the number of patient admissions to Intensive Care, improved quality of care and reduced long waits or cancellation of inpatient surgery.
Laurie Faux, Lead Practitioner for Post Anaesthetic Care Unit and the ECU at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We are thrilled that the Enhanced Care Unit has been shortlisted for a prestigious Nursing Times Award. The pandemic has shown us all the pressing need for more flexible, personalised care to meet the diverse range of needs of our patients. The introduction of the ECU has helped improved processes within surgical care and reduce cancelled operations. It also provides additional support to patients where they need it most.”
Professor Chris Morley, Chief Nurse at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“This recognition is a testament to the hard work of the multi-disciplinary team across the Enhanced Care Unit and the positive impact they have had on the way we deliver care. The unit has provided crucial support to our teams over the last two years, easing pressure on both general wards and the Intensive Care Unit and championing the delivery of safe, patient-centered care.”
The winners of the 2022 Nursing Times Awards will be announced on Wednesday 26 October at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London.
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