Two nurses from Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) have been selected from hundreds of entries as finalists at the RCN Nursing Awards.
Learning disability health facilitation nurse, Megan Ware, and community children’s nurse (Lead in transition), Eden Carlisle, have been shortlisted in the Learning Disability Nursing category.
Megan and Eden began working together in October 2021, after recognising that there was a gap in transitional services for young people with learning disabilities to adult services.
The pair have led the development of a transition pathway and nurse-led clinic, which began in January 2022. The clinic has a strong focus on the voice of the child and family, empowering the young person wherever possible to be part of their health care decisions and ensured that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are considered, as well as other key legislation.
The team has also developed a Transition passport to ensure all information shared during clinic is captured and provided to parents with a comprehensive information pack so they may reflect upon their appointment. In addition, they also offer a generic email contact so families can contact them with any further queries, or for further support. Positive feedback has been received to date.
Their goal is to share their journey to empower others to improve transition across Wales for this vulnerable cohort of young people.
Megan said: “We have created an information leaflet for families, and an easy read version for young people, which we plan to send out at 14-year-old. This ensures the transition process begins early.
“We decided the best way to involve young people and their families was to offer a nurse-led transition clinic for them to attend so that they could come with any anxieties and questions they had about transition, and we could offer advice and support about what the process would entail.”
Eden said: “We work with individuals with complex health needs where there is a lot to hand over to adult services. We are flexible, however, we are adopting a no wrong door approach to ensure no young person is left without a service if needed as they become an adult.”
Mandy Rayani, Director of Nursing, Quality and Patient Experience said: “I am pleased to see the outstanding contribution of the team being recognised for this prestigious award. This nomination is a fantastic opportunity to say thank you for your dedication and compassion.”
The RCN Nursing Awards is a yearly event that invites nurses, nursing students and nursing support workers to share their innovations and expertise and celebrate their contribution to improving care and outcomes for people of all ages and walks of life. This year’s awards ceremony would be held on 6 October at the Westminster Park Plaza hotel.
For more information about the RCN Nursing Awards, please visit RCN Nursing Awards
Help keep news FREE for our readers
Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle
