Liaising with the Allied Health Team

Currently while at my gerontology placement a new patient was transferred to our ward that had recently had another AKA on the same leg. Before seeing the patient for the first time for a mobility assessment I checked with the nursing staff if it was convenient for them if I assessed him in the afternoon and generally obtained some background information about the patient. The nursing staff informed me that he had been a very difficult patient over the course of the day, only wanting to stay in bed. He had not been compliant with showering, eating lunch in the dining room and wasn’t assisting the nurses with transfers when he had previously been independent before his second surgery.

Talking to the nursing staff made me realise that I may have trouble with patient compliance and I was not sure if I could persuade him to get up and out of bed. Realising that the no nonsense approach the nurses had employed had failed with this patient I decided that being more sympathetic and encouraging may have a greater effect. Consequently I didn’t have any trouble with patient compliance and was able to convince the patient that getting up and OOB was for his own benefit.

Thus I have learnt that it is very important to talk to the nursing staff or any member of the medical team as they often retain crucial information that can be invaluable or guide your patient approach.