NURSING STANDARD
NURSE AWARDS 2014
DEFENCE NURSING AWARD Sponsored by British Army and RAF Careers
NURSING STANDARD
Tristan prepared nurses for Afghanistan N U R SGriffin E AWARDS
MINDFULNESS HELPS STAFF MANAGE STRESS AND INCREASE RESILIENCE staff manage their stress and increase their mental resilience. Mindfulness can also improve team work, clinical decision making and interpersonal skills.’ As the regular nursing officer for 203 Field Hospital
Sarah Lewis revamped soldiers’ treatment
Go-to pain expert Headley Court Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Surrey cares for military patients returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with multiple and complex injuries. When pain management nurse Sarah Lewis arrived in 2012, pain was managed case by case, with no central oversight or review process. Her nominator explained: ‘Because of the nature of their injuries, patients are seen by many consultants, but little time was given to pain assessment.
MANY PATIENTS SAY THEY HAVE CLEARER MINDS
the programme and, in his own time, delivered it to reservists. Major Griffin has now been asked to brief commanders and the defence mental health community on the subject. ‘A small project, but a neat one – and a highly worthwhile piece of work,’ said one judge.
MARK HAKANSSON
Tristan Griffin, officer commanding for the British Army’s field mental health team, introduced a programme of mindfulness – a form of meditation – for nurses and medical reservists preparing for deployment to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, site of the largest military hospital in the world. ‘The traumatic nature of such an unfamiliar environment, and being away from home for a long period, can cause stress to build up as the tour progresses,’ explained Major Griffin. ‘Mindfulness is recommended by NICE for treating depression and has been used by the US Marine Corps in its battlefield preparations. I wanted to help
MARTIN CHAINEY
Ready for the front line
at the Army’s reserve centre in Cardiff, Major Griffin was responsible for preparing nursing staff for deployment. He ran a mindfulness programme designed to strengthen the mental and emotional wellbeing of medical and nursing staff, negotiated with departmental heads to release their staff for
Sarah raised awareness of pain management as a central pillar of rehabilitation, introducing personalised strategies including TENS fitting, acupuncture and medication review.’ Her co-ordinated approach has had a dramatic effect on patients and staff. She is now the go-to expert, and her pain review clinics are a huge success. ‘Many patients have said that they now have clearer minds because we have reduced their medication and introduced more psychological techniques,’ Sarah explained. Her nominator said: ‘Sarah demonstrates unfailing tenacity in situations that would have discouraged a less resilient person.’
62 may 7 :: vol 28 noRCNi.com 36 :: 2014 STANDARD Downloaded from by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 22, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
NURSE AWARDS 2014
DEFENCE NURSING AWARD Sponsored by British Army and RAF Careers
NURSING STANDARD
Tristan prepared nurses for Afghanistan N U R SGriffin E AWARDS
MINDFULNESS HELPS STAFF MANAGE STRESS AND INCREASE RESILIENCE staff manage their stress and increase their mental resilience. Mindfulness can also improve team work, clinical decision making and interpersonal skills.’ As the regular nursing officer for 203 Field Hospital
Sarah Lewis revamped soldiers’ treatment
Go-to pain expert Headley Court Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Surrey cares for military patients returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with multiple and complex injuries. When pain management nurse Sarah Lewis arrived in 2012, pain was managed case by case, with no central oversight or review process. Her nominator explained: ‘Because of the nature of their injuries, patients are seen by many consultants, but little time was given to pain assessment.
MANY PATIENTS SAY THEY HAVE CLEARER MINDS
the programme and, in his own time, delivered it to reservists. Major Griffin has now been asked to brief commanders and the defence mental health community on the subject. ‘A small project, but a neat one – and a highly worthwhile piece of work,’ said one judge.
MARK HAKANSSON
Tristan Griffin, officer commanding for the British Army’s field mental health team, introduced a programme of mindfulness – a form of meditation – for nurses and medical reservists preparing for deployment to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, site of the largest military hospital in the world. ‘The traumatic nature of such an unfamiliar environment, and being away from home for a long period, can cause stress to build up as the tour progresses,’ explained Major Griffin. ‘Mindfulness is recommended by NICE for treating depression and has been used by the US Marine Corps in its battlefield preparations. I wanted to help
MARTIN CHAINEY
Ready for the front line
at the Army’s reserve centre in Cardiff, Major Griffin was responsible for preparing nursing staff for deployment. He ran a mindfulness programme designed to strengthen the mental and emotional wellbeing of medical and nursing staff, negotiated with departmental heads to release their staff for
Sarah raised awareness of pain management as a central pillar of rehabilitation, introducing personalised strategies including TENS fitting, acupuncture and medication review.’ Her co-ordinated approach has had a dramatic effect on patients and staff. She is now the go-to expert, and her pain review clinics are a huge success. ‘Many patients have said that they now have clearer minds because we have reduced their medication and introduced more psychological techniques,’ Sarah explained. Her nominator said: ‘Sarah demonstrates unfailing tenacity in situations that would have discouraged a less resilient person.’
62 may 7 :: vol 28 noRCNi.com 36 :: 2014 STANDARD Downloaded from by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 22, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
