Page 20 - QARANC Vol 19 No 1 2021

18 The Gazette QARANC Association
Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre – Nursing Division update
DMRC Stanford Hall is run by a professional team drawn from members of the Armed Forces and MOD employed civilians. The DMRC multidisciplinary team uses the skills of its professionals within various clinical departments, supporting patients through their care. It incorporates technology with therapies that have been established through clinical research. Its buildings and spaces have been specifically designed to aid the healing process and deliver the functions of rehabilitation medicine. It includes gyms, a range of swimming and hydrotherapy pools, a gait laboratory and all other elements crucial for its clinical purpose.
I was posted to DMRC in March 2019 and adapting to my new role within a unique clinical environment was initially daunting. However, I was equally excited to take the opportunity to acquire new skills and savour my experiences. I was amazed to see a real mix of patients from amputees to those with spinal cord injuries. Likewise, among the patients, some of them were injured during their duty whilst others were involved in unfortunate accidents off-duty.
There are three wards in the DMRC Nursing Division: Complex Trauma (CT), Neuro, and the Health Care Assistant (HCA) ward. CT ward deals with patients following an accident resulting in complex trauma injuries. The focus remains on regaining mobility, fitness and independence. This is achieved through the interdisciplinary team providing the full range of therapies for rehabilitation such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and hydrotherapy. The patients come for several admissions and get access to
a wide range of specialities to help them manage their injuries. Whilst working in CT ward as an HCA I was able to help with the activities of daily living. Moreover, I was able to witness the support received by serving members of the Armed Forces from the multidisciplinary team in order to return to service or transition to civilian life and a new career. This has given me
a good understanding of disabilities and their rehabilitation process which I was unaware of. I feel fortunate to have gained this experience which we do not routinely obtain in other healthcare settings.
Subsequently, I also had the opportunity to work in Neuro ward which was extremely challenging. The goal of neurological rehabilitation is to help serving members return to the highest level of function and independence while improving quality of life. Nurses and HCAs help with the activities of daily living, such as eating, dressing, bathing, toileting and basic housekeeping. The neuro rehabilitation programme also includes speech therapy, activities to improve mobility, muscle control, gait and balance. In addition, the programme integrates activities to improve cognitive impairments, such as problems with concentration, attention, memory and poor judgement, which was fascinating.
I currently work in the HCA ward which is a ward led by the Health Care Assistants. This ward focuses on more independent patients compared to the
LCpl Kandangwa and MA Shaw working on the HCA Ward
Neuro and CT wards, but with a similar aim of providing aid for rehabilitation process. Working in this ward also means taking the overall responsibility of a range of situations involving patients with different issues and care needs. This role gives HCAs more accountability and independence to use our own initiative and work within clear boundaries, but with access to support
from doctors and nurses 24 hours a day if required.
Following the arrival of the pandemic and the required Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures for COVID-19, Nursing Division has undergone several administrative changes. Testing of patients for COVID-19 is done prior to admission, and the use of various facilities within the unit like kitchens, gyms, pools, and waiting areas have been reorganised in order to meet the criteria for IPC guidelines. These changes also ensure the number of people in our facilities allows for two metre social distancing, especially in therapy sessions. One of the challenges for patients has been the restriction to go on weekend leave until the end of their course. Similarly, ensuring staff are well trained in the use of personal protective equipment, handling COVID-19 samples and strengthening the unit’s response mechanisms by becoming familiar with COVID-19 specific standards of care has not been easy. The
‘One for the Team’, displayed in Nursing Division