40. Investigating and evaluating the value and effectiveness of surgical CNS roles in delivering care to children and their families (55)

Caroline Sanders, Consultant Nurse, Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Co authors: Liz McArthur, Coldicutt Pat, Flynne Alison, Grogan Joan, Boken Carol & Murray Mary
caroline.sanders3@ntlworld.com

Abstract:

Aim:

The principle aim of this service evaluation was to identify children, young people and parents’ level of satisfaction with existing specialist nursing service.

Background:

Specialist nursing roles have existed within the hospital trust for more than fifteen years. The surgical clinical nurse specialist (CNS) teams care for populations with acute and chronic healthcare needs. The function of specialist roles have been explored both nationally and locally against a backdrop of professional guidelines and economic pressures. However there had been no local evaluation of children, young people’s and parents’ level of satisfaction since the development of specialist roles within our trust. National guidelines in the UK (NICE, 2002 & HCC) recommend that systems be put in place to enable clients to make their voices heard in a variety of ways.

Method & results:

The evaluation tools (parent, child 9-11, 12-18yrs) had face validity and were population specific; comprising of 11 statements exploring communication, service delivery, access, multi-professional working and service user empowerment. There was a free space for open comments. Simple descriptive statistical analysis correlated closed responses whilst thematic analysis was used to explore the open comments. Parents reported satisfaction > 90% with nurses knowledge, skills and MDT working, while the children and young people reported between 83-97% satisfaction. Accessibility, equity of service provision, variable information resources and administrative issues were areas that were identified less positively by parents and children.

Conclusion:

Service evaluation has identified positive experiences and deficiencies in structure and processes that have impacted on children and their families. This information has led to the development of action plans that aim at improving service delivery.

Biography:

The author wrote this abstract as part of a wider surgical CNS team. She is currently a Consultant Nurse working collaboratively with HCP to provide services for children and young people facing urological and gynaecological difficulties. Research methods used previously have included quantitative methods - RCT’s and qualitative methods – Focus groups and narrative enquiry. Research has focused on exploring experiences of boys and their parents in relation to hypospadias surgery, which has resulted in clinical papers and achievement awards at a national level. She is currently using narrative enquiry to explore parents’ experiences of their child’s genital surgeries when their child was born with ambiguous genitalia as her PhD.