Heartbeat: Compassion in Care – supporting people with hidden disabilities
August 29, 2018
The Compassion in Care Award this month has been awarded to a quick thinking deputy manager who stepped in to help a family in need who were desperately trying to calm a distressed child.
Victoria Atherton, Deputy Manager in the anticoagulant service was nominated by her manager after she took the initiative to step in and support the family who were struggling with the child in a busy waiting area.
Nominating Victoria for the award, Anticoagulant Service Manager Joanne Malpass recounted how Vicky had spotted the unfolding situation and used her own experience to provide some much needed support.
“Vicky sits in an office which looks out onto the waiting area of clinic area 1 in the Sandwell treatment centre. On a daily basis her and her colleague, Kelly Barnickle, have their door knocked by patients asking questions not related to our service but they both always help with a smile.
“Vicky could see very distressed parents with their child in the waiting area. Vicky has a son who is autistic and drawing on her experience approached the parents. They then explained that their daughter had a similar disability to her son and was finding it very distressing to be in a busy area, the clinic was running late, and they were all becoming very distressed and were finding it difficult to occupy their daughter.”
Vicky didn’t simply stop at talking to the family but used her initiative to find a resolution and managed to find a treatment room nearby that was vacant, where the family could wait in peace and quiet. Within minutes of being in the room the child was much calmer and was happily drawing, the parents were more relaxed whilst waiting for their appointment.
Since stepping in to support the family, Vicky is hoping to become a diversity and inclusion champion and keen to see how she is able to use her knowledge and experiences with her son to help facilitate and bring about change to help those with hidden disabilities such as autism.
Also highly regarded as by the judges this month was Research Nurse, Rebecca Brown who was nominated by colleagues for the help and support she has provided both colleagues and patients on the research studies she is involved in.
If you know someone who has excelled at consistently upholding our nine care promises, nominate them for a Compassion in Care Award. You can nominate colleagues from any department who you feel have provided compassionate care; this includes colleagues from non-clinical services.
You can nominate online via Connect https://connect2.swbh.nhs.uk/communications/compassion-in-care-awards/