Congratulations to Ward 2, Harplands Hospital, who have been shortlisted for a prestigious Nursing Times Award for their Recovery Book project.
The team was successful in making the shortlist for the ‘Nursing in Mental Health’ category, after being nominated by Ward 2 Manager Vickie Washington. Vickie explains more:
“With help from the Ward team, I developed a patient engagement tool – the Recovery Book – for the Ward. We wanted a tool that would change team culture to be more collaborative, and empower patients to have ownership over their recovery and care planning whilst inpatient, but also to engage and support during the transition into community.
“It embraces the safewards initiatives and links with national suicide reduction strategies to instil hope and empower people. It offers key information to allow people to make informed choices and fundamentally offers a tool for engagement for staff, and a means of starting conversation and developing joint care plans and risk assessments.
“The idea is that it’s used as a two-way engagement tool throughout the admission, but also sections aimed solely for patients such as tip for mindfulness and a reflective journal space. Finally the book also includes sections to take the stress out of discharge, offers key information, has sections for safety planning and is aimed to be a tool for people to share with care teams/families and keep for future reference.
“I’m extremely honoured that this received any formal recognition. I can’t believe that a very basic idea was embraced so well and has now become a part of daily practice and makes a difference every day.
“I’m proud of the team, the way they adapted and embraced the idea and engaged in the project, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without their passion for our patients, their drive and their ability to adapt.”
The awards take place on Wednesday 27 October 2021 at Grosvenor House Hotel, Mayfair, London. Good luck to the team!