A student nurse for care of older people is behind the pilot of a box which is being provided to every older person admitted to University Hospital Hairmyres (UHH) to hold their belongings.
Joanne Kane, who is now fully qualified, was inspired when she attended a conference as a student on care for the elderly and heard about what other hospitals across the UK were doing to keep patients things in the one place.
The idea of the belonging box is to allow patients to have a dedicated box they can store their belongings. including important items like their glasses, hear aids and dentures. With the help of Elaine Morning, personal assistant to the Chief of Nursing, who sourced a local company to produce the boxes, Joanne managed to get the pilot up and running.
Joanne said: “After I attended a care of elderly meeting when I was a student nurse, I felt inspired to come up with a solution to keep patients’ belongings safe throughout their journey in the hospital. I did extensive research in my own time whilst also obtaining my degree, so I’m delighted these boxes are now being used at Hairmyres.
“Items that affect patients’ senses such as their hearing, sight and taste are incredibly important to keep safe. Patients can be vulnerable when staying in hospital and if those items are misplaced, it can make them more vulnerable.
“These belongings boxes are a simple yet effective way of keeping items safe. It should travel with the patient throughout their stay in hospital, avoiding their belongings being misplaced”
The boxes are labelled with the patient’ details when they are admitted, are bright yellow so they are easily identifiable, and follow the patient through their journey within the hospital.
Lise Axford, Chief of Nursing, UHH, said: “Joanne came up with the idea as a student nurse and has done all the background work to bring these unique boxes to fruition.
“I am delighted that we are now able to support a pilot to trial these across the hospital and get feedback from patients and staff on their success.
“What is particularly pleasing is that Joanne started this project as a student and has been committed to making the belonging boxes available as a newly qualified nurse. It is also gratifying, that as an organisation, we offer all our staff who have any ideas or suggestions to improve the patient’s journey, the opportunity, encouragement and support to introduce new initiatives.”
If the pilot is successful at UHH the plan is roll them out to other hospital sites across Lanarkshire.
