1. Be the difference, Make the difference. Health care support workers (HCSW) are at the fore front of nursing care, and can promote dignity, respect and compassion. Are you one of these professionals? Health care support workers (HCSW) are at the fore front of nursing care, and can promote dignity, respect and compassion. Are you one of these professionals? If so are you educating other’s to maintain the professionalism of our NHS? And are you giving a high standard of care to ensure that dignity, respect, and patient values are not compromised? And are you giving a high standard of care to ensure that dignity, respect, and patient values are not compromised? As a HCSW, working within the NHS We have a unique opportunity to promote dignity and respect to all in our care. Live Code Of Conduct For Support Workers In Wales. A Code of Conduct for HCSW’s was brought in to NHS Wales in January 2011, to maintain a high standard of delivered care. The code of Conduct will enable patients, service users and members of the general public to understand the role of the HCSW within the modernisation of the Health trust. HCSW’S have an important role to play in the delivery of high quality of care to patient’s, and service users. Code of conduct for healthcare support workers in NHS Wales.WAG (2011) Has an HCSW working within NHS Wales we have an unique role, we are apart of and assist with the fundamentals of nursing care, and act as the patient’s/relatives advocates. HCSW’s, are part of the nursing team, and can change a patients experience whilst in our care, whether this be in hospital or the community setting. (RCN, 2008). (RCN, 2008). Patients tend to communicate more with HCSW’S, because of the time we are with them, we can relay concerns whether physical or emotional, to the registered nurse who can then act on whether other involvement may be needed in a patients care. This is just one way of promoting a patients/person’s dignity and respect. Dignity comes in many different forms and communication is one of these. PROMOTING DIGNITY: The Royal College of Nursing is also campaigning to promote Dignity for our patients. The Royal College of Nursing is also campaigning to promote Dignity for our patients.. Respecting patients and clients diversity and cultural needs; has well as their privacy – including protecting it as much as possible in large open plan hospitals with decisions they make.. Being compassionate when a patient or client/relative needs emotional support, rather than the delivery of TECHINICAL nursing care.. Demonstrating sensitivity to patients and clients needs ensuring their comfort. (RCN, 2003). As a Health care support worker we: RESPECT – that a patient might feel embarrassed to seek help with aspect of daily living or personal hygiene that they might have attended them selves before they became ill. Make yourself available, see with your eyes. EXPECT – you might not be able to help with everything that the patient might need, but give them the details of the person who could be able to assist them or help with the problem. Delegate your own priorities, share your work load All patients especially the elderly and vulnerable, should have privacy, not to be exposed unnecessarily. Patients should have time to decide decisions asked of them, to be seen as an individual and not an object. Consideration for emotions which will demonstrate respect for the individual not patient/client group. (Walsh and Kowento, 2002). Dignity and respect is an essential element of quality of life, and consists of many overlapping issues involving respect, privacy, autonomy and self worth. It is more rewarding to see a person smile from a few kind words, seeing the person relax when asking for your help. Dignity is at the heart of nursing care, and should be part of carrying out good principles of practice. (NMC, 2008) Through my experience has a HCSW, I have always thought of Dignity, Compassion and Respect as the building blocks to nursing care. But through my recent studies of Higher education in health care for HCSW’S I now have good understanding of legist ration and policies that back up and protect the patient’s we care for. The same legislation protects us with delegation and accountability. Nursing is a fantastic career what ever level you decide to take, It is hard work but very rewarding: So Have you made up your mind….. to Make a Difference? So Have you made up your mind….. to Make a Difference? References. Department of health (2008) high quality of care for all- NHS Next stage review final report.Gateway reference 10106. London : department of health Department of health (2009c) supporting people with long term health conditions: commissioning personalised care planning. London: department of health. healthcare commission- www.heathcarecommisson.org.uk. Nursing Midwifery Council, (2008) the code of standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London NMC. Royal College of Nursing, (2003), Delivering nursing: London: RCN. Royal college of nursing (2008) Defending Dignity: Challenges and opportunities for nurses.London: royal college of nursing. Walsh, k and Kowanko, I (2002)’ Nurses and Patients perceptions of Dignity. International journal of nursing practice 8(3), 143-5. Welsh Assembly Government (2010) All Wales Guidelines for Delegation. National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Health (NLIAH), NHS Wales. Welsh Assembly Government (2011) Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers in Wales. Cardiff, Welsh Assembly Government. Special thank you to my lovely Nan for the photo’s and inspiration for this poster. “Its so nice to have help, And enjoy my food like I used to” Patient Dignity and Respect needs to be; Promoted into the whole culture of Hospital and Community setting! Dignity Champions, Nominated on notice boards, highlighted to patients and relatives. And other service users. practice. (|DH, 2008, pg 47) As discussed Dignity can be difficult to define, but people know when they have not been treated with respect and dignity. HCSW’S have a key role in care planning for patients in the community and hospital environment, or residential setting to a patients own home. Making it personalized and listening to what patients/service users really want, thus giving them equal rights with planning their own care within a working partnership with all professionals. DH (2009c, pg4). By integrating the essence of care and having an Holistic approach, concentrating on delivery of both quality and efficiency within hospitals, care homes, and community settings, we can achieve strengths of working ways to promote dignity and respect to all gender, class, culture, or age and disability for all within our care. ASK Yourself……… “What have I done to day to make a difference to a person’s life?” Karen Byrne, 2011. Dignity Matter’s Delegation and Accountability. Increasing demands on healthcare provision, and increasing complexity is creating unprecedented challenges for the NHS and its workforce (WAG, 2010). The ability to delegate, assign and supervise are critical competencies for the 21st century healthcare worker. Failure to or inconsistent approaches to delegation can have a negative impact on the quality of care and the culture of our work environment. The HCSW is accountable for accepting a delegated task, and the understanding of it’s content, and for the safe experienced performance of it’s delivery. This allows for high effective care to our patient’s and other service user’s. Welsh Assembly Government (2010) All Wales Guidelines for Delegation. National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Health (NLIAH), NHS Wales. Understand NHS policies, and guidelines, Look them up, research, grow into Nursing!