A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A COMMUNITY NURSE Hilda Dunlea, Community Nurse, HSE Cork and Kerry 6.50am First up - I get the kids’ breakfasts before heading to work. 8.45am At the South Lee primary care centre, planning my day is critical - I lay out my schedule and prioritise calls. A daily COVID risk assessment is an unfortunate but essential element of our new way of working and it’s completed prior to each home visit. Infection control guidelines and personal protective equipment have always been a vital component of our role in the community, but even more so now. Assessing risk is vital at the start of each day to protect patients. High-risk clients are identified and left to the end of the day. 9.15am Dressing clinic organised for the health centre. Clients arrive at allotted times for wound assessment and dressings change. Noon I pay a home visit to a new mum and baby to carry out a postnatal review.
Mum was enthusiastic about breastfeeding but was having some challenges on my initial visit. She was disappointed it wasn’t working out so a breastfeeding support plan was developed. On this visit, it’s going very well. I’m currently completing my lactation consultant course and it’s hugely beneficial in assisting breastfeeding mothers. 12.45pm Complete paperwork and reply to an urgent message about a hospital discharge before visiting next client. 1.15pm I pick up messages and have lunch at the health centre. The social aspect of lunch has been challenged by COVID but we link in as safely as possible. 2.15pm Hospital discharge to be reviewed at home. My role is to review and assess the patient, their current clinical needs and home supports. This client is palliative and supporting the patient and family is one of the greatest privileges of my role. After the visit, I update the GP, palliative care team and refer to the physiotherapist and occupational therapist for home review.
3.15pm Next call is a catheter change for a client at their home. 4.45pm Back at the health centre, I brief the public health nurse for follow up as needed. 6pm Evenings are dinner/kids’ activities.
Community care programme aims to deliver services closer to people's homes The Enhanced Community Care (ECC) programme is a national priority for the HSE and is part of realising the vision of Sláintecare of delivering a safe, quality health and social care service that meets the needs of our growing population. A key goal of the ECC programme is to deliver more services closer to people's homes or in their communities. It aims to provide more services through general practice, primary care and community-based services. The 96 Community Healthcare Networks (CHNs) will be the foundation of our health system in years to come, and support integrated care across primary, community and acute care. CHNs are enabling decisions to be made closer to the point of care, and specific to population needs. Each CHN consists of between 4-6 primary care teams, with GPs involved in delivering services. CHNs are allowing for direct access by GPs to scans such as X-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI and Dexa. The CHNs are further supported with Community Specialist Teams for Older Persons and Chronic Disease who will work in an integrated way with the National Ambulance Service and acute services to deliver end to end care. Working together in multidisciplinary teams, we will deliver the Sláintecare vision to provide the right care, in the right place at the right time for people using our services. For more information on Community Healthcare Networks, go to hse.ie/communitynetworks
HEALTH MATTERS SPRING 2022 | 21
021_HSE Health Matters_A day in the life.indd 21
16/03/2022 11:26
