Page 23 - QARANC Vol 15 No 2 2017

The Healthcare Assistant (HCA) Led Ward, DMRC Headley Court – My Role
THE GAZETTE QARANC 21
I completed my HCA training in 2009 at Fort Block House, Gosport and was posted to DMGSE Frimley. There I rotated through several wards gaining experience in Elective Orthopaedics, Medical Assessment, Accidents and Emergencies and Acute Surgical Dependency. I was lucky to deploy on two separate tours to Afghanistan, Herrick 14A (2011), working on the ward and Herrick 17A (2012) working in the emergency department. I gained tremendous experience and learnt a lot on both tours. I felt fulfilled looking after fellow soldiers and so it was only natural that I wanted to carry on and pursue the other side of the coin contributing to their rehabilitation.
I started my assignment at Headley on 4 Jan 2016, working on the HCA Led Ward. For me working on this ward is like being part of a great achievement, as famously said, “There isn’t any like it in the whole of the United Kingdom”. I see the existence of this ward as a perfect opportunity for HCAs to independently engage their efficiency and effectiveness. Though we don’t necessarily work under the umbrella of a Registered Nurse, we still maintain our role limitations and work within our boundaries.
I interpret my role as an HCA in rehabilitation as supporting my patients while they transition into their independence. I do this by monitoring their overall safety on the ward. I ensure they are available to attend their rehab sessions and above all well enough to attend (emotionally, mentally and physically). It is my responsibility to highlight any issues identified that could negatively affect their rehab and well-being. This means I am in constant communication and liaison with the patients and their team ensuring relevant information is passed to and fro.
My patients go through an admission process which includes a current record of their personal, medical and NOK details, details of up-coming appointments and arrangements for transportation with takeout meal. I carry out a brief assessment on their activities of daily living (ADL). I have to use this opportunity to pick up any issues, risks or potential areas of concern and feed them up for the appropriate team
to deal with it, e.g. medical, dietician, pain, mental, prosthetic, sleep etc.
Apart from routinely swabbing all patients and looking at wounds to check for any Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) screening, it is imperative that infection prevention and control is exercised and monitored on the ward. Areas for consideration are personal hygiene, self- wound management and care, and all communal areas including bed spaces, break and food areas, ablutions etc. Continued education and training on safe practices is impacted to the patients.
All patients admitted on the HCA Led Ward are initially assessed by the senior house officer (SHO) and deemed safe to manage their own medication. As per my role and my limitation, I am not licenced to administer medication to my patients. Mine is to ensure they keep on top of their stock and observe and monitor for any adverse reaction, especially to new drugs and/or change to doses. I make weekly arrangements for the pharmacist to meet each patient for their medication update. This highlights if any patient is poorly managing their medication and the appropriate action taken. In an instance where a patient suddenly requires some medication out of working hours, I liaise with the nurse-in-charge on the other wards to administer it out of their ward stock.As well as carrying out the above, there is still the opportunity to explore vital clinical skills such as venepuncture, electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring, and physiological measurements and wound dressing.
Overall, I do enjoy my job and find it very rewarding. Essentially as the first point of contact, anyone who works on the HCA led ward must have those qualities such as being approachable, embracing the responsibility of duty of care and have the ability to maintain their professionalism in all situations.
Cpl Mavis Adu Quarshie QARANC DMRC Headley Court
British Expeditionary Force in France (near Le Mans), North Africa (desert) and Egypt (General Hospital). In Normandy she worked as a theatre sister in the Casualty Clearing Station at the Battle of Caen, caring for the severely injured soldiers. Mada then followed the fighting through France, working in either a Field Hospital or in the Casualty Clearing Station. She continued into Belgium, then Holland and was near Arnham when the Battle of Arnham raged in September 1944. From here she continued into Berlin and then led a team of nurses into Bergen-Belsen as the Nazi concentration camps were opened by the allies.
Mada was later posted to Potsdam, providing an emergency surgical theatre, with a team of eight nurses, in case it was needed by the British delegation attending the Potsdam Conference (July-August 1945). Mada was housed in the same road as Churchill, Stalin and Truman! Following leave, Mada returned to Germany and was stationed near Spandau. Mada’s military service came to an end as hostilities ceased the same
year. Mada was present at the Victory Parade through Berlin, 21 July 1945, before returning to England to be demobbed.
Mada was mentioned in despatches, published in the London Gazette, 4 April 2017. At the age of 103 years, however, further honours were to come. On the 70th Anniversary of D-Day in June 2014, the French President announced that the distinction of the Légion d’honneur would be awarded to all British veterans who fought for the liberation of France during the Second World War (veterans must have taken part in military operations in France between 1944 and 1945). Since June 2014, more than 5,000 medals have been awarded. This was to honour and thank those who fought and risked their lives to secure France’s liberation during the Second World War. It was for Mada’s distinguished service in France that she was likewise awarded the Chevalier de L’Ordre National de la Légion d’honneur on this a very special day.
Lt Col Alison Cripps QARANC