Change #JustDoItJuly #MatExp

How do we effect change ? Why do we want change ? 

Life is change , we are born we grow we learn we change 

By standing still and failing to embrace change we will experience the world rushing  on by – we are left behind trying to reach out and catch up with everything that we have missed  . 

Let’s rewind to the days of old when I started my career in the NHS …… 

The ward sister instructs me to pull the curtains around each bed on the nightingale ward . This is in preparation for the consultants ward round . No visitors , silence , even the patients who are not under the care of this consultant must be on their beds . The beds are all exactly the same , the lockers are devoid of any personal touch and the nurses walk with the procession of doctors – I am one of these nurses and there is fear in my heart – I dare not speak out – the consultant throws a set of case notes into the air in anger . He is annoyed by the way the notes have been filed – I stoop to pick the papers up – no one speaks – I feel so angry inside that such an influential person could put an object before the priority of a patient . I feel myself wondering how I will behave once I qualify as a nurse . 

Fast forward to the 21st century – the ward round is more relaxed Drs chat to staff about the weather , there is equality , everyone’s voice is heard including the people who are being seen , the women, the men – even families present during the ward round . 

Change in the NHS must keep happening

staff must evolve in order that the care they give to patients is based on research and evidence – not just their own opinion.

Inconsistent advice must be questioned in order that communication improves for everyone – the positive effects of a human approach should be shouted out from the rooftops so that warmth and kindness can spread like the warmth of the sun after the rain. 

We are human – we are only here for a short time – so in that time lets keep changing and let’s embrace change with a happy heart – question processes that have stood still for a while – don’t accept “That’s the way we have always done it ”  Instead look at it like this “Change is good change is now & change is the future ” 

Consider your action for change – my action for “Just DO it July” is to stop weighing babies within the first two hours of life – unless there is a valid indication  – for babies and women this will mean more skin to skin time and an increase in the success of an early breastfeed 

What’s your change going to be ?