NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: getting it right one ward at a time

Building the Confidence of Senior Charge Nurses (SCNs)

Peter added: "At the beginning of this process, we needed to build the confidence of our SCNs to chair the board rounds. It can be hard for them, at first, to tell consultants, junior doctors and the wider multidisciplinary team that they must report to them, so I co-chair the first few meetings with them until everyone becomes familiar with this new way of working."

Claire Russell is a Senior Charge Nurse on ward 8C, which specialises in Gastroenterology. She said:

"I thought we had a good structure on the ward before we started with Exemplar Ward but this has just made everything a lot sharper. At our 9am board round we agree our priorities for the day, discussing sick patients, discharge tasks and ward safety issues, looking ahead and looking back. We look at the most unwell patients who require medical review before moving on to patients who are due for discharge that day and, finally, patients who will be discharged over the next few days."

SCN, Ann Green said:

"The twice-daily board rounds are attended by consultants, nurses, Occupational Therapists, physios, pharmacists… They help to ensure that everyone knows what is going on and who is being discharged today and over the next few days. The meetings are now so well-embedded that they happen when I'm not here."

"Nurses are typically on the ward by 7am. If they don't have to wait for the consultant to be able to discharge patients it can really speed up the process. Providing the discharge criteria are specific, there is no reason why discharge cannot be delegated to nurses."

Dr Evelyn Millar,
Consultant Respiratory Physician