Rachel, our King’s College Hospital Nurses’ League volunteer has been working incredibly hard alongside Rhoda (Senior Nurse at Connaught Hospital) to achieve the targets set by the project. On top of the response to the terrible accident which occurred in November 2021, below is a summary of their achievements over the last year.
- 135 nurses have been trained to use the Sierra Leone Early Warning Score (SLEWS). This provides the foundation for the nurses’ continuing professional development.
- 30 emergency department nurses have undertaken the Recognition and Treatment of Emergencies for nurses (RATES) training course which has equipped them to assess and manage acutely unwell patients.
- 16 education lead nurses have been identified and provided with additional training to enable them to represent their wards and departments as champions for training and supporting their peers with on the ward teaching
- 40 blood pressure monitors, 32 thermometers and spare parts have been procured for distribution amongst the wards at Connaught Hospital as part of the vital signs equipment budget. This will ensure timely monitoring of patients
Cecily Borgstein (Manager with the King’s Global Health Partnership) has thanked KCHNL for its donation to the fund after the explosion. You may remember that the Benevolent fund sent £2000 on behalf of KCHNL for the international response. With the support of the funds raised after the disaster and with international support mechanisms, networks within nursing teams have been built to support the education for nurses on site. The momentum continues and there is a 4-month project starting in February 2022 to strengthen burns care in Connaught Hospital, Freetown and to continue with the ongoing education for the nursing teams.
King’s Global Health Partnerships (in conjunction with KCHNL) are now actively seeking the next volunteer to replace Rachel who is due to leave in May 2022.
