Ally Young

Teaching style: coaching, using a wide range of
Methods to make teaching inclusive
I have been working in healthcare for the past 20 years, undertaking a variety of roles within the sector. During the past twelve years I have worked within primary care in the community where I started as a Band 2, progressing to a 3 then on to a 4 where I studied at Surrey university and gained my Foundation degree in Health and Social care in long term condition management.
On completing my foundation degree I went into an office based role as a support manager where I utilised my skills from the community. From this role I learnt from and embraced many challenges. I worked closely with Continuing Health Care, hospices, and other health care providers, ensuring patients received the care they needed and that it was of an exceptional quality. This required communication, empathy, and time. Time is often is not often a resource we possess in healthcare, so when delivering the service as a team we ensured that all calls were no less than 30 mins and that no calls requiring personal care were under an hour. The Team was awarded Great British Care Team 2014 for the South West.
Since 2014 I have worked within BHFT as an Associate Practitioner within a rural team in Newbury. I was fortunate to gain a secondment to further my studies, completing my nursing studies in Feb 2020. My final year was on the community pathway in which I was able to work within the community nursing teams, minor injuries and ambulance service. Prior to this I had placements cardiology, respiratory, community inpatient and community placements within West Berks. These placements have increased my confidence, communication, and theoretical knowledge. My degree has taught me to think outside the box, and often scratching open the surface to gain further insight.
Following my degree I was in the community when COVID-19 pandemic began, I worked within the community team providing nursing care to 3 linked surgeries. Daily caseload consisted of at least 3 palliative care symptom management calls or support. This was a steep learning curve for myself, though where I felt that I was able to to achieve the best for the patients in my care. I utilised connections within Sue Ryder team, consultants, and hospitals to gain insight into management, and always asked questions for myself as well as the patients I cared for.
Due to the nature of the pandemic, it was encouraged that we did more telephone palliative care support calls I felt that this may lead to the team gaining the full picture of what is happening within the patients. Patients can be stoic on the phone, but having that face to face conversation can be invaluable for gaining a holistic view on how the patient is. I felt by taking this approach it gained rapor, increased communication with the patient, family and wider multi disciplinary team.
The last 15 months I have been within HHFT working within the Andover locality. I started on Kingfisher ward as a Deputy Sister from between February 21 to October 21, and started as bank down in the hospice in the June 22. Where my love of palliative care grew even more so, I was able to give the high quality, holistic care.
Giving high quality, holistic care is a passion of mine. I am always looking at ways to make the patient experience excellent. As HCPs it's a privilege to work with patients in their own environments, during challenging times, to give palliative care. My colleagues always remark on how I am patient focused, how I always strive to achieve that little bit more. I like to think of myself as a role model in holistic care, as it's not just the blood test or wound, or disease it's the whole patient. In palliative care its not just the patient its their families too, which require support and guidance.
Developing relationships with members of the multidisciplinary team is essential to delivering timely, evidence based care and has enhanced my skills as a HCP to ask those probing questions. I actively identify patients and refer to the MDT. This allows a MDT approach in identifying any concerns and issues in a timely manner to discover solutions. This is achieved by attending, and actively referring to MDT team meetings, liasing with other HCPs.
By having discussions with a wider team and the patient we are able to deliver and implement care. Care plans are always discussed with the patient in a collaborative approach., allowing them to make informed choices about their care, communicating with other members of the MDT if required.
Communication is often an area where wires can be crossed. I identified this by the calls to triage from patients and family carers asking if we visited as there were no notes in the home. I spoke with carers and families who said that since we had gone paperless they couldn't see if a visit had taken place. I devised a book, which I raised through QMIS huddle, that ourselves, carers and families can write in on each visit. This will be measured by the decrease of call-backs that are required via triage. Some staff were concerned it was more paperwork, so I devised a proforma which alleviated concerns. This has also allowed for a break down of barriers from a communication perspective as staff felt they were more able to communicate any concerns to ourselves and carers