Improving the ward-based care of patients post-thyroidectomy.
Nursing staff play a crucial role in managing surgical patients in the postoperative period. However, with an increasing risk of subspecialty wards facing closure as a result of financial pressures within the NHS, the knowledge base and expertise of ward-based nursing staff of surgical subspecialties is becoming increasingly limited. Using patients undergoing thyroidectomy as an example, a quality improvement multidisciplinary audit is presented, which shows how simple targeted interventions through a multidisciplinary approach can help maintain high standards of patient care in a secondary care setting.
Ear, Nose and Throat Registrar in the Department of Otolaryngology, East Surrey Hospital, Redhill, Surrey.
Sridhayan
S
Mahalingam
GP Trainee, East Surrey Hospital, Redhill, Surrey.
Rachit
R
Singhal
Lawyer with an interest in Medical-Legal Law and patient safety; affiliated with the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.
Sridhayani
S
Mugilan
Consultant Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon in the Department of Otolaryngology, East Surrey Hospital, Redhill, Surrey.
Natasha
N
Choudhury
D006757:Hospital Units / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D009731:Nursing Audit / Q000379:methods*; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D013527:Perioperative Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D058996:Quality Improvement; D013222:State Medicine / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006113:United Kingdom