Ward Manager Caroline Humphreys from University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust has won a Cavell Star Award for going above and beyond for her patients.
Colleague and Nursing Associate Nikki Yates describes why Caroline is such a deserving winner.
“Caroline noticed that many of our patients started to go into Acute Kidney Injury. This was having an impact on our patients which lead to delayed discharges. Elderly patients don’t like drinking very much and staff are always busy. This is the reality of ward life. Caroline thought of a solution using coloured water jug lids. All patients start on a blue lid, their second jug is red and their third is green. By changing the lids on the jugs it identified which patients needed more encouragement with drinking. This enables staff to recognise and push fluids, family members also recognise their loved ones need encouragement by trying to get them onto the next jug. By implementing the changes to the jug lids Caroline has completed audits and it shows it works. Caroline has shown this to other staff with in the hospital, and this will be rolled out within UHDB.
“I am so proud of Caroline, how a small change can make a huge impact on our patients that are in our care, and the reductions of Acute Kidney Injury within our area.”
Caroline reacted to winning her Cavell Star Award.
“I was so humbled and shocked to received the Cavell Star Award, it means the world to me that the staff on the ward felt that I deserved this award. I feel so privileged to be the manager of the team I have, they all go above and beyond for the patients and they make my day better.
“We are there for each other and I’m proud of each and everyone of them. I do not think that I do anything different from them and I try hard to encourage them to innovate and try new things to improve care for the patients. My team are very special, they are dynamic, resourceful, caring and make my job so worth while. Each one of them is unique but brill a sparkle to the whole team.”