Creative thinking by cancer nurses gives patients a confidence boost
Posted 15 August 2019 - 08:00
Nurses have devised covers from donated fabrics to conceal patient drainage bags, maintaining their dignity and boosting self-confidence
Cancer nurses are helping to boost patient confidence and dignity after devising custom-made covers to hide drainage bags.
The covers have been created for patients with bone or soft tissue cancer who need a drainage bag to remove excess fluid following surgery.
and staff nurse Pip Page-Davies
with Hazel Carter, a patient using one
of the drainage bag covers made by
Ms Page-Davies and other nurses
The idea was the brainchild of staff nurse Pip Page-Davies of the Oswald specialist oncology ward at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Shropshire.
She wanted to encourage patients to be more confident when moving around, and to ensure their dignity when away from the clinical area.
Ms Page-Davies said patient confidence has grown and the risk of falls has been reduced since the bags were introduced in early May.
‘A little bit of time to make these is a huge benefit for our patients’
‘As a ward we try to encourage our patients to have as much independence as possible, so when they’re ready they can spend time off the ward,’ she said.
‘The drain bag covers have encouraged patients to feel less self-conscious and more confident, so giving a little bit of time to make these is a huge benefit for our patients.’
The fabric for the covers was donated by a local company.
Interim director of nursing Sarah Bloomfield said: ‘It’s fantastic to see our nurses thinking creatively about how they can improve the day-to-day lives of patients.
‘Making our patients feel dignified and confident is extremely important and I am so proud of the team on Oswald Ward for the work they’ve done to improve this.’
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