Danielle Eastwood and Lisa Hall
Clifton hospital has welcomed new Advanced Practitioners for the first time.
Lisa Hall and Danielle Eastwood, have undertaken the two year Advanced Practitioner Programme at the hospital in Lytham in St Annes, part of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Lisa, a registered nurse and Danielle, a physiotherapist, will soon be joined by two further Advanced Practitioners who are currently undertaking the programme, ensuring that each of Clifton’s four wards have access to registered health care professionals who have acquired an expert knowledge base.
The new roles mean that patients have more access to staff who are qualified to deal with more advanced medical situations.
Lisa said: “Before we qualified, we were in a supervisory role, but now we are completely autonomous. We can however refer back to our doctors if necessary.
“Our duties include assessing patients on arrival, non-medical prescribing and generally providing knowledge and skills and speed up the recovery and rehabilitation process so that patients can go home quicker – being back at home is so important.
“We have been given a great opportunity to be able to put everything we have learned into practice.”
Danielle said: “The introduction of this role is really positive and really streamlines the patient arrival process. We also develop new care pathways and develop the service.
“We are both excited about the new roles – all the staff at Clifton have been very supportive and they have really encouraged us.
“Our learning will never stop. Health care changes all the time and part of our training included managing change. We are keen to implement our ideas and service changes.”
Clifton’s Head of Service, David Kay said: “I am really proud of them and their success.
“To see them develop in the role and what a huge achievement it is for them to complete the programme.
“They will play an important role in the future of Clifton.”