A West Lothian-based dementia nurse has been honoured at a glittering awards ceremony.
Melissa Rowlands was announced as the winner of the Learning in Practice Award at the glittering RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards ceremony.
A Dementia Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) at St John’s Hospital, NHS Lothian, Melissa developed the role of the ANP in dementia care to enhance patient care support the diagnosis, designing a service which seeks to prevent admission and reduce readmission to hospital for people with dementia in care homes.
By developing nurse led clinics, Melissa supports West Lothian’s contribution to national HEAT targets by reducing waiting times for diagnosis. She adopts a flexible approach to ensure that the service works across older people’s health services as well as supporting other agencies.
Within a year of establishing the service, waiting times had halved, allowing the post diagnostic support teams to engage more quickly with patients. Melissa’s approach is already being shared across Scotland and she is now supporting ANPs in other areas to implement her initiative.
Melissa is keen to demonstrate to senior management what nursing staff can do when given scope to be innovative in their care delivery.
Applauding Melissa for innovation and comment, Colin Poolman, RCN Scotland Director said: “Mental health nurses are key to supporting patients and clients to live as independent and fulfilling lives as they can. Melissa has succeeded in raising the standards of dementia care for her patients and clients. Her nurse led clinics show that, with a passionate nurse at the helm, great things can be achieved”.
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