Specialist Vascular Nursing
Information for students.
Tina Dufour July 2011
1
Introduction
Welcome to your Vascular nursing placement. We hope that your
placement will be both educational and enjoyable, and will provide
you with transferable skills to aid you throught you career.
Your mentor during your placement will be
Sister……………………………………………………
The vascular nursing team comprises of:
Helen Thompson
Vascular Nurse Specialist
Tina Dufour
Vascular Support Nurse
Nursing Links include:
Sr Maggie Williams
Sr Maria Bainbridge
Sr Mandy Ridley
Sr Liz Flude
Sr Julie Richards
Emma Openshaw
Clinical Lead Nurse Xray
Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist
Pain Nurse Specialist
Infection Control Nurse
Urology Nurse Practitioner
Staff Nurse Carr Hill.
MDT Links include:
Ms Borsha Sarker
Fiona McClintock
Tim Brown
Julie Wiper
Lynne Calland
Vascular Sonar
Physiotherapist
Smoking Cessation Adviser
Podiatrist
Podiatrist
The Nurse Specialists and links work Monday to Friday, and as
such your placement will take place throughout these working
days.
Tina Dufour July 2011
2
A key aim of the Make it Real curriculum is to help students
engage actively and safely in evidence based practice and new
ways of learning. In doing, so they will be encouraged to critically
reflect upon their own performance and on the wider issues of
nursing and health care. Enquiry based learning; with
client/patient focus will mean that students have a responsibility
for identifying their own learning needs.
Mentors as `experts` within their own practice environment, will
support and guide the you to ensure that available learning
opportunities are matched to expected learning outcomes.
The purpose of the LEARNING ZONE is to aid this process and to
offer direction and continuity in how this can be achieved. Key
Learning Elements are identified in the Learning Zone as
necessary, the specific Learning Elements provide the you with the
opportunity to identify and negotiate learning between the yourself
and Mentor. Keeping a reflective diary will be invaluable to your
learning whilst on placement and is actively encouraged.
Your mentor will plan your 8 week allocation so that you will have
the opportunity to spend time with the different members working
of the entire team in ward settings, outpatients departments
diagnostic imaging and theatres, so that you may experience the
patients journey.
Competencies will be met and achieved through an enquiry based
learning approach and evidence for learning will be agreed on at
the initial interview between mentor and student.
Tina Dufour July 2011
3
STUDENT NURSE INDUCTION CHECKLIST
Student Name:
Start Date:
This programme is a guide to mentors to aid the integration of
student nurses into the working environment. It is good practice
to have the document completed within the first two days of the
placement.
Student nurses must be allocated a mentors at least one week
before the commencement of the placement. Within the school
health service, the mentor will arrange to be with the student on
their first day of placement.
NB It must be remembered that the student must work 50% of
the week with her/his assessor.
ORIENTATION CHECKLIST
Shown around the working
environment
SIGNATURE
DATE
Introduction to team members
Working hours discussed
Parking & Transport discussed
Procedure for reporting sick
Discuss dress code
Given student nurse profile &
philosophy
Dining room or lunch arrangements
Tina Dufour July 2011
4
TO BE SHOWN
Health & safety file
Trust policies
Control of infection policies
Service standards & protocol file
Home visiting policy
Emergency exits
Fire drill & procedure
Fire extinguishers
Tina Dufour July 2011








5
Listed below are some of the common diseases/disorders, surgery
and investigations that you may come across during your
placement, it would be beneficial if you could find out what these
involve before you start your placement to gain maximum benefit.
Vascular surgical procedures











Open Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Stent Repair ( EVAR)
Femoral-popliteal bypass Grapht
Aorto-bifemoral bypass grapft
Carotidendarterectomy
Carotid stenting
Amputation
Embolectomy
Angiogram
Angioplasty
Varicose vein surgery
Conditions








Intermittent claudication
Aneurysms
Peripheral arterial disease
Venous leg ulcers
Arterial leg ulcers
Diabetic neuropathy
Ischaemia
Carotid stenosis
COMMON INVESTIGATIONS





Angiogram
Duplex
Computerised Tomography
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Angio)
Ankle Brachial Index
Tina Dufour July 2011
6
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
There are many learning opportunities available during your
placement with the vascular nursing team, this will include:














Diagnostic imaging
Pain management
Infection control
Patient education sessions
Admission and discharge of patients
Pre assessment ward visits
Multidisciplinary team meetings
Outpatients clinics
Theatre
Nurse led clinics
Angio
Specialist meetings
User involvement
Health promotion
Students are allowed to use the department computer to access
selected information. We also have a selection of books, leaflets,
journals, educational resource files and handouts.
CONCLUSION
The specialist nurses will be willing to help throughout your 8
week placement in order for you to take advantage of the
opportunities offered and gain the most from your time spent with
the Vascular Nursing team.
If you wish to have a pre placement visit, please phone 0191
4452828 or bleep 2127 and this can be arranged.
Tina Dufour July 2011
7
KEY ELEMENT
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
LEARNING
OPPORTUNITIES
Tina Dufour July 2011
RESOURCE/PERSONNEL/DEPARTMENT
8
Use of telephone
Answering calls
Making calls
Use of bleep system
Use of the
computer to get:
Patient investigation
results
Patient information
Internet
e-mail access
Communication
with:
Patients
Relatives
Doctors
Nurses in other
departments
Outpatients
Multidisciplinary
team
Primary care
Colleagues
Vascular secretary/vascular nurse specialist
/Vascular support nurse
Vascular secretary/ vascular nurse
specialist/vascular support nurse.
Vascular nurse specialist/ vascular support
nurse/preassessment
nurse/dietician/Radiology nurses/ward
nurses/members of the multidisciplinary
team
Members of the multidisciplinary team/
Vascular support nurse/ Vascualr nurse
specialist
Participation in:
MDT meetings
Patient transfer
outside the trust
Discharge of ward
patients
Nurse handovers
Team working
Tina Dufour July 2011
9
KEY ELEMENT
CLINICAL SKILLS
LEARNING
OPPORTUNITIES
Tina Dufour July 2011
RESOURCE/PERSONNEL/DEPARTMEN
T
10
Patient hygiene
Patient assessment
Nutritional
assessments
Pre assessment nurse/Vascular support
nurse / vascular nurse specialist/ ward staff
Nutrition nurse specialist/dietician
Medical devices
Infection control
Vascular Nurse Specialist/ Vascualar
support nurse/ Infection control and
Prevention officer / ward staff/ NICE
Moving and handling
Vascular nurse specialist / vascular support
nurse / ward staff/ physiotherapist /
occupational therapist.
Patient safety
Vascular nurse specialist / vascular support
nurse / ward staff
Vascular nurse specialist / vascular support
Complex wound care nurse / tissue viability nurse specialist/
tissue viability support nurse/ leg ulcer
nurse specialist/ leg ulcer clinic staff nurse
Preparation for
investigations/theatr
e
Consent,
information, invasive
radiology, non
invasive radiology,
transferring to
theatre, post
Tina Dufour July 2011
Vascular nurse specialist / vascular support
nurse / ward staff / medical staff /
radiology nurse practitioners
11
operative care/
considerations.
Tina Dufour July 2011
12
KEY ELEMENT
PATHOPHYSIOLOGIGAL PROCESSES
LEARNING
OPPORTUNITIES
Tina Dufour July 2011
RESOURCE/PERSONNEL/DEPARTMENT
13
Anatomy and
physiology
Disorders
Investigations
Infections
Treatment
Surgery
Drugs
Vascular nurse specialist / vascular support
nurse / ward staff / diagnostic imaging staff
Management of care Vascular nurse specialist / Vasualr support
Outpatients clinic
nurse
MDT meetings
Nutritional /
lifestyle changes
Dietician / vascular support nurse/ vascular
nurse specialist / ward staff
KEY ELEMENT
Tina Dufour July 2011
14
HEALTH DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
LEARNING
OPPORTUNITIES
RESOURCE/PERSONNEL/DEPARTMENT
Healthy lifestyle
strategies in relation
to:






Smoking
Alcohol
Obesity
Nutrition
Drug abuse
Exercise
Literature/dietician/ smoking cessation
officer/ physiotherapist/ vascular nurse
specialist/ vascular support nurse/ ward
staff/ medical staff/ radiology team
Health education
and health
promotion literature
Models of health
promotion/education
Interface between
hospital and
community care
Psychological care
and support
Tina Dufour July 2011
15
User involvement
KEY ELEMENT
MANAGEMENT OF CARE
LEARNING
Tina Dufour July 2011
RESOURCE/PERSONNEL/DEPARTM
16
OPPORTUNITIES
ENT
Use of nursing model
Mission statement
Documentation
Nursing Process
Assessment
Who assesses
How is assessment
carried out/open or
closed questions
What is assessed
Where does it take
place
Planning
Care plans/pathways
Risk assessment tools
Multidisciplinary plan
Discharge planning
Referrals
OT
Physiotherapist
Social worker
District nurse
Discharge liaison
Specialist nurses
Relevant
departments/hospitals
Vascular nurse specialist/ vascular
support nurse/ ward staff / out patient
department staff/ out patient reception
staff / medical team/ MDT
Implementation/Evaluati
on
Ward rounds
MDT working
Documentation
Standards
Tina Dufour July 2011
17
Protocols
Policies
Communication
Time management
Planning workload
KEY ELEMENT
ORGANISATIONAL & MANAGERIAL ISSUES
LEARNING
Tina Dufour July 2011
RESOURCE/PERSONNEL/DEPARTME
18
OPPORTUNITIE NT
S
Managing a
team
Organisational
skills
Delegation skills
Prioritising skills
Time
management
Leadership
Managing patient
work load
Quality
Standards of care
Implementing
change
Documentation
Giving
information to:
Staff
Doctors
Patients
Relatives
Multidisciplinary
team members
Other
departments
Vascular nurse specialist/ vascular support
nurse/ dietician . radiological nursing
team/ ward staff/ RCN Standards/ NICE
Vascular nurse specialist / vascular
support nurse
Resources
Stock controlstoma/fistula
Managing Risk
Policies &
procedures
Quality control
Infection control
Tina Dufour July 2011
Vascular nurse specialist / vascular
support nurse
19
Moving & handling
Emergency
Situations
Cardiac arrest
Fast bleep system
Violent incidents
Fire
Patient forms
Staff
developments
Reflective practice
IPR
Tina Dufour July 2011
20
Communication
Patient care
pathways
Theatres
Venous leg ulcer service
Smoking
cessation
CCOT
Preassessment
Urology
Andrology
Patient information
User
involvement
Tissue Viability
nurses
Specialist Vascular Nurses
Vascular Nurse Specialist
Vascular Support Nurse
Angio/radiology
Policies
Community visits
OT/MDT
Physio
Infection Nurse led
Control/ clinics
prevention
Consultant
clinics
podiatry
Tina Dufour July 2011
Vascular
sonar
Chronic pain
management
dietician
Reflective Practice
21