Emma Fisher, 26, a staff nurse who has worked for University
Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust for the past five years, has
been short-listed for one of the most prestigious nursing awards in
the UK.
Emma was nominated for the Accident and Emergency category in
the Nursing Times Awards, due to her innovative work to improve
procedure for tissue and organ donation.
Emma noticed that some nurses were not routinely taking the
opportunity to discuss tissues or organ donation with bereaved
relatives and many were unaware that their relatives tissues or
organs could be donated with their consent.
Emma says: Staff often felt under-confident about approaching
this potentially sensitive subject at such a distressing and
emotional time for relatives. Working very closely with the local
tissue donation team, we helped to provide an intensive teaching
scheme for nursing staff in order to educate and challenge the
current practice. Now many more members of the nursing staff
feel more comfortable about bringing up the subject with bereaved
relatives they are caring for.
Rebecca Hoskins, a nurse consultant for the Bristol Royal
Infirmary says: Thanks to Emmas inspiring work, the resulting
change in practice and culture is now embedded into standard
practice and the continuous follow-up as a result to improved
paperwork means that every bereaved family is given the choice to
donate their relatives organs as well as ensuring that any patients
wish is fulfilled.
The measures that Emma and our colleagues have implemented have
not only improved the Trusts accident and emergency services, but
have also increased the number of organ/tissue donations.
This work in a small way has contributed to the overarching goal of
optimising the number of available tissues and organs in order to
save lives and improve the quality of lives saved.
-ENDS-
For more information please contact Helen Jackson,
Communications Assistant on 0117 342 3629 or email Helen.jackson@uhbristol.nhs.uk
