Nursing Team
Fitzpatrick Referrals has a large team of qualified nurses who are dedicated to providing an outstanding level of care for patients Our nurses are central to the delivery of our unique care package and work seamlessly together in a range of disciplines which reflect the diversity, complexity and demands of neuro-orthopaedic practice.
Our centre currently has a team of 47 nurses and kennel assistants led by Head Nurse, Emma Johnson and our Head Nurse (of Training), Josey Killner. The nursing team is specifically trained to care for severely ill, traumatised and debilitated patients and in giving them all the surgical and medical care they require prior to, during and after clinical investigations and surgery.
Ward Nurses
We have a dedicated team of ward nurses whose primary responsibility is to look after patients pre- and post-operatively. This involves medicating, bandage changes, maintaining intravenous catheters and urinary catheters, maintaining thoracic drainage kits and liaising with the auxiliaries and ward intern.
They may speak to the client regarding the care plan for their pets stay and spend time with them when visiting. They also provide assisted feeding via oesophagostomy tubes for the critical cases.
Ward Auxiliaries
We have a large team of ward auxiliaries who care for the patients 24 hours a day. They are dedicated to making the patient feel as comfortable as possible during the stay. They walk, feed and clean the patient and kennel area throughout the day. The patients are groomed daily and the auxiliaries sit, play and talk with them to make their stay as much like home as possible.
Ward Physio Nursing
All of our nurses are trained by our Chartered Physiotherapists. The physiotherapist designs individual treatment plans for the patients which the nurses put into practice. This may involve the use of a muscle stimulation machine and a range of movement exercises, hydrotherapy sessions and outdoor exercise. We also have a dedicated physio nurse working in the ward. The more complex cases will be dealt with directly by the physiotherapist.
Fitzpatrick Referrals nurses work on a weekly rotation basis in the following areas:
Diagnostic Nursing
We have a registered veterinary nurse assigned to monitor the patient during the anaesthetic whilst it undergoes diagnostic imaging and a number of our RVNs who are specifically trained in using the MRI and CT scanner working directly under the supervision of our radiographer.
Theatre Nursing
The nurse anaesthetist works directly under the supervision of the senior surgeon. They will be allocated a patient at the beginning of the shift and will check the clinical parameters of the patient prior to administration of any anaesthetic drugs. This nurse is then responsible for administering the premed, catheter placement and assisting the veterinary intern with anaesthetic induction. The patient is stabilised and monitored closely using an oesophageal stethoscope directly and via a monitor checking ECG, capnography, temperature, blood pressure and pulse oximetry. The same nurse recovers the patient post operatively before passing the information to the RVN in that ward.
The surgical prep nurse helps radiograph the patient, clip and aseptically prepare it for theatre. The circulating nurse will gather the equipment necessary during the procedure and any medications that the anaesthetist may need to administer. The Scrub nurse surgically scrubs into the procedure to assist the veterinary surgeon by holding instruments or running the table for Total Hip Replacements.
Surgical Auxiliaries
We have a team of surgical auxiliaries who work alongside the nurses, sterilising and preparing the wide range of surgical equipment and materials. They also clean and prepare the theatres between surgeries and assist the nurses with patient preparation.
Chemotherapy Nurses
We have four nurses trained in this position. The patient develops a bond with the assigned nurse which helps make their short stay more enjoyable. The nurse greets the client and patient and answers any questions they may have about the procedure their pet is about to undergo. There are potentially serious side effects for anyone who comes into contact with chemotherapy therefore protective clothing must be worn by the nurse during the procedure. The nurse places an intravenous catheter and under the direction of the veterinary surgeon sedates the patient. The chemotherapy drug is then administered and once the sedation is reversed the patient is discharged. It usually takes less than an hour from admittance to discharge.