Advanced Nurse Practitioner Local Injury Unit, General Hospital

Details of Service

Bantry General Hospital is a model 2 hospital as part of CUH hospital group and is within the South / Southwest Hospital Group. Bantry General Hospital (BGH) is a model 2 rural and remote hospital serving the population of West Cork and South Kerry. BGH is the only model 2 hospital nationally receiving 999 ambulance calls and accepting undifferentiated medical patients. This is due to the large rural catchment area of the hospital and long distances to the nearest model 3 or model 4 hospital.

Bantry General Hospital Local Injury Unit (LIU) was established during reconfiguration of hospital services following publication of the Smaller Hospitals Framework (HSE 2013a). The LIU Bantry General Hospital is one of 3 Injury Units within the Emergency Care Network (ECN) of Cork University Hospitals Group.

The LIU is open 8am-7pm 7 days a week, providing service for Adult Patients and children from 5 years of age within the National agreed guidelines for Local injury Unit.

The ANP (Local Injury Unit) scope of clinical practice involves the management of non-life and non-limb threatening conditions, commonly known as minor injuries or ambulatory care (HSE 2012; 2013b). The ANP scope of practice directly mirrors that of the Local Injury Unit scope agreed at national level under the National Emergency Medicine Programme (HSE 2012) https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/clinical-strategy-and-programmes/the-national-emergency-medicine-programme.pdf

The following are some of the examples, not an exhaustive list of clinical presentations included in the scope of practice for this role.

· Suspected broken bones and/or dislocations to legs from knees to toes

· Suspected broken bones and/or dislocations to arms from collar bone (clavicle) to finger tips

· All sprains or strains

· Facial injuries/problems - minor (including oral, dental and nasal injuries)

· Scalds and burns - minor

· Wounds, bites, cuts, grazes and scalp lacerations

· Splinters and fish hooks

· Foreign bodies in eyes/ears/nose

· Head injury – minor (fully conscious children, who did not experience loss of consciousness or vomit after the head injury)

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Purpose of the Post

The advanced practice service is provided by nurses who practice at a higher level of capability as independent, autonomous and expert advanced practitioners. The overall purpose of the service is to provide safe, timely, evidenced based nurse-led care to patients at an advanced nursing level .This involves undertaking and documenting complete episodes of patient care, which includes comprehensively assessing, diagnosing, planning, treating and discharging patients in accordance with collaboratively agreed local policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines and/or service level agreements/ memoranda of understanding.

The RANP (LIU) demonstrates advanced clinical and theoretical knowledge, critical thinking, clinical leadership and complex decision-making abilities.

The RANP (LIU) practices in accordance with the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives (NMBI 2014), the Scope of Nursing and Midwifery Practice Framework (NMBI 2015), Advanced Practice (Nursing) Standards and Requirements (NMBI 2017), and the Values for Nurses and Midwives in Ireland (Department of Health 2016).

The RANP (LIU)service provides clinical leadership and professional scholarship in the delivery of optimal nursing services and informs the development of evidence based health policy at local, regional and national levels.

The RANP (LIU) contributes to nursing research that shapes and advances nursing practice, education and health care policy at local, national and international levels.

Informal Enquiries

Ms. Maureen Minihane, Director of Nursing

Email: Maureen.minihane@hse.ie

Tel: 027-52993, 0867871976