14 Pharmacy
A Pharmacist Amongst Paramedics My experience with the National Ambulance Service Clinical Directorate Written by Edel Burton - Edel Burton is a second year Structured Population and Health-services Research Education (SPHeRE) scholar in University College Cork and a scholar on the Health Research Board(HRB) Collaborative Doctoral Programme in Chronic Disease Prevention(CDPCDP). Edel is also a Clinical Pharmacist in the Bons Secours Hospital Cork. As part of her PhD studies Edel carried out a placement in the National Ambulance Service (NAS) Clinical Directorate, in Dooradoyle, Limerick from March to May 2022. Edel’s placement supervisor was Mr. David Willis, Clinical Information Manager with NAS. Edel Burton, Pharmacist and PhD Scholar and David Willis, Clinical Information Manager with the National Ambulance Service Clinical Directorate
worked on a medication safety report which consisted of auditing the use of controlled drugs over a yearly period.
BACKGROUND We have all been told multiple times that a PhD is a marathon and not a sprint. If we are sticking with that analogy, my placement with NAS was like winning the gold medal. This opportunity allowed me to engage with a multidisciplinary team of prehospital care professionals, familiarise myself with the clinical data collected by NAS and become part of this dynamic empathetic team providing patientcentred care. Due to the developing and everexpanding area of pre-hospital care I believe it is an exciting time for me to become involved with the ambulance service. From my clinical and research experience I have a clear understanding of medications, and protocols related to pre-hospital care and the importance of thorough handover between pre-hospital and acute care. The value of highquality, well-placed and rigorous clinical pre-hospital research and clinical practice initiatives is very
clear across my roles on a daily basis. Thus, as a pre-hospital care researcher and a practising pharmacist this opportunity allowed me to reflect on my research, my role as a pharmacist and continue to engage with stakeholders, procedures and practices in pre-hospital care. REFLECTION – USING GIBBS REFLECTIVE CYCLE 1988 1. Description The team in the Clinical Directorate consists of a multidisciplinary group including the Clinical Director, The Clinical Information Manager, The Clinical Development Manager, The Covid - 19 and Winter Lead, Data Analysts, The PA to the Clinical Director and Audit Support staff. During my time on placement, I primarily worked on two reports. Firstly, in relation to optimising the process of exporting a medication list into the electronic patient care record used by ambulance staff. Secondly, I also
AUGUST 2022 • HPN | HOSPITALPROFESSIONALNEWS.IE
Mornings usually consisted of data entry or report composition. After that, the afternoon could look different every day. Sometimes I might be asked to pharmaceutically analyse a report or offer an insight into a clinical/ research query. Everyday my supervisor would ensure we had a meeting to discuss the progress of my assigned tasks, ask any questions and work through any PhD-related queries. Outside of this time I would be analysing data or reviewing resources to include in my assigned reports. 2. Feeling Before I started my time with the ambulance service I was intrigued to learn more about their organisational structure, medication management strategies, team dynamic, protocols and procedures. I was eager to deepen my understanding of pre-hospital care and felt energized by the opportunity to immerse myself in this environment. During my time in the Clinical Directorate, I felt that my comprehension and appreciation for integration across not only healthcare professions but also healthcare sectors deepened. Written on the wall of the office of the Clinical Directorate is “ to serve the needs of patients and the public as part of an integrated health system through the provision of high quality, safe and patient centred ambulance services”. I believe that holistic and robust healthcare delivery is built on teamwork.
Written on the wall of the office of the Clinical Directorate is “ to serve the needs of patients and the public as part of an integrated health system through the provision of high quality, safe and patient centred ambulance services”. I believe that holistic and robust healthcare delivery is built on teamwork. Different disciplines working together to deliver evidence-based care. Thus, every day I observed that statement on the wall and witnessed its principle in action I felt proud to be associated with this team. This statement also challenged me to continue to embody this statement in my own work and reflect on my own practices. Furthermore, after the placement I now feel that from both a research and clinical perspective my perception of holistic care has greatly developed. This learning was facilitated by a dynamic team and familiarisation with ambulance service data. As my PhD work is focusing on pre-
