A new bladder scanner is helping boost efficiency and patient discharge in the Lyell McEwin Hospital’s stroke unit.
But it wouldn’t have been possible without the awesome fundraising efforts of the unit’s nurses, who took part in The Hospital Research Foundation (THRF) Group’s annual Giving Day telethon earlier this year.
In 12 hours, the team raised just over $8000 as more than 60 people donated to the team, including some former patients.
And with every donation doubled, thanks to THRF Group’s generous gift matchers, this took the total amount raised to more than $16,000 – an amazing achievement!
Nurse Consultant and Stroke Service Coordinator Tej and Nurse Unit Manager Srirat.
The machine was delivered in August and has already been put to use, with both staff and patients reaping the rewards.
Previously nurses would need to go hunting across the hospital in search of a scanner they could borrow from another ward.
This caused less time with the patient and meant taking a resource away from another department.
But nurse unit manager Sirirat Wiriyakiat said that having immediate access to the scanner has meant the nurses can now work more efficiently.
“We are able to quickly identify concerns and respond swiftly, improving overall care for our patients,” she said.
“To be recognised by an outside organisation meant a lot for staff and we’re really grateful that The Hospital Research Foundation Group contributed extra funds.”
It’s common for people to lose the ability to urinate or control their bladder (incontinence) after experiencing a stroke.
Losing the ability to communicate, to move unassisted or the ability to unbutton clothes are also common and can make it difficult to get to the toilet on time, or at all.
But thankfully this can be managed, and that’s where the bladder scanner comes in.
The machine takes an ultrasound of the organ to see how it is functioning and how much urine is in the bladder.
This can help the nurse put together an appropriate care plan by determining what type of incontinence the patient is experiencing or whether a catheter is needed.
