CONTINUING our series talking to local healthcare heroes, this week we talk to Clare McLaughlin, an Infection Prevention and Control Nurse at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).

Clare takes her vital role very seriously, but is also delighted to help ensure patient safety and wellbeing, taking on further training to stay up-to-date to continue working with her patient-centred skills.

What motivated you to pursue a career at the SWAH?

I began my nursing career in Belfast and when I realised I wanted to move closer to home, I was fortunate to get a job in the Tyrone County Hospital.

Then, when I joined the Infection Prevention and Control Team (IPCT), my base became the Altnagelvin Hospital.

Although I was in Altnagelvin I was given the opportunity to work closely with the Infection Prevention and Control Nurses (IPCNS) in the Southern Sector of the Western Trust.

I would assist with cover in the old Erne and Omagh hospital, and enjoyed building relationships with teams on all three sites.

When a senior IPCN role became available, I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to develop my skills with a new team and build on from the great work done by the IPCNs who had previously worked there.

Living within the southern sector of the Western Trust, I am aware of the great services that are provided within the SWAH, through my own personal experience and experience of family members.

Could you share a significant challenge you've faced in your role and how you overcame it to provide quality healthcare services?

The Covid-19 pandemic was something that many healthcare workers will state as a significant challenge, and as an IPCN I would definitely agree.

During the pandemic, every member of the team faced additional challenges in their role to ensure we were providing staff with the necessary education on rapidly changing guidelines.

As a service we had to provide education and support to not just staff on the various hospital sites, but throughout all the Trust community facilities as well.

To do this, we had to quickly adapt to virtual training – something that was new to us.

We are a small team and have a wide geographical area to cover, so were reliant on virtual resources to provide the support to staff at times.

Due to the great demand for input regarding IPC practices, the team were also asked to provide support to the Independent sector care homes.

Given the wide variety of environments across the Trust facilities, and indeed, within nursing homes, leadership, collaboration and engagement were key to understand how we could deliver our services.

How do you believe your role contributes to the well-being and recovery of patients within our community?

We collaborate with all community teams within the Trust, such aslong-term care facilities, day centres, nursing teams etc.

We assist them with how they can reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections, which can significantly impact patient recovery and overall wellbeing.

Can you highlight a particular patient interaction or medical achievement that you are particularly proud of, and why?

In 2021, the team won the award for ‘Leading Through Diversity’. We had been nominated for the award due to our work to maintain the safety of our patients, staff and services throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was highlighted that while the team’s focus was on safety, we also worked closely with services to ensure patient flow could be maximised in a safe manner.

How do you ensure the delivery of compassionate and effective care in your specific healthcare discipline?

To ensure the delivery of compassionate and effective care, it’s important that decisions and advice are based on patient-centred care.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach in IPC, and there has to be an understanding there will be unique needs and concerns for each patient or client.

What advice is given for one area may not work in another. Awareness of the barriers staff and patients may encounter in applying the core principals of IPC, and what additional measures or adaptions need to be provided, is vital.

For me, good communication is a major part in accomplishing this.

What aspect of your work do you find most rewarding, and how does it resonate with your personal values and mission?

When I am able to provide advice and guidance that I know will protect staff and patients within the Trust.

This might be through an education session, during a visit to a healthcare environment, or even via telephone or email.

Being able to provide reassurance to staff that they are adhering to the most up-to-date evidence-based practice, to ensure the patients’ wellbeing is at the core of everything we do, is so important.

How do you manage the demands of your job, and what strategies do you employ to ensure exceptional healthcare service delivery?

To manage the duties of an IPCN it is important to employ various strategies, one being continuous learning.

As we are providing guidance to others, we must be up to date at all times on the latest guidelines, research, and best practices.

This allows us to adapt and improve practices as new information becomes available.

Just this year, myself and a colleague completed a university module, ‘The Built Environment: Infection Control’, which will further our knowledge when providing input on infection control building controls throughout the Trust.

Having a clear plan of work is also essential to ensure as a team we are focusing on the most urgent of issues.

Our plan of work is often directed by our local surveillance information and trends, as well as directives from the Public Health Agency and Department of Health.

Finally, effective communication within our team, and to others.

I am lucky to be part of a team that collaborates effectively with each member across the various sites.

Each morning we have a morning huddle that all IPCNs have the opportunity to communicate openly about our current tasks, and be provided with support and advice from colleagues.

This ensures the team has shared goals.

Have there been any mentors or colleagues who have significantly influenced your practice, and in what way?

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside remarkable colleagues who have shared their wisdom and knowledge.

Some of whom have retired over the past few years, and others who I am still fortunate to work with.

They have all provided me with experiences and given me opportunities to grow my confidence in this speciality.

As the team provides a supportive environment, we are encouraged to share ideas or seek help when needed, which only leads to further development.

Our team very much thrives to have a collaborative approach and foster a culture of continuous learning.

I have witnessed colleagues demonstrate strong leadership skills and advocate for importance of IPC practices in what is sometimes difficult situations with lots of other demands.

With retirements within the team, we have also had new members. I feel I have also learned so much from their new perspective, and it has made me reflect on my own practice, which has helped with personal growth and development.

What are your aspirations for the future, and how do you envision the evolution of your role within the SWAH?

With the services in our community settings providing care to those patients and clients with more complex needs, I would like to see our team evolve with this.

I hope we continue to strengthen and maintain relationships with various team in the SWAH, and surrounding community teams.

How do you believe your efforts contribute to the overall excellence and advancement of healthcare services in our local community?

We are continuously thriving to reduce and prevent the number of health care-associated infections.

For the year of 2023-2024, the Trust had a reduction of more than 50 per cent in MRSA blood stream infections, and an overall decrease in C. difficile cases by 56 per cent, compared to the previous year, leading to the Trust having the lowest number of cases for both in Northern Ireland during this time.

This was achieved through the hard work of healthcare workers implementing various different IPC practices every day.

Part of our role involves emergency preparedness, playing a key role in preparing healthcare facilities and the community for potential outbreaks or pandemics, as well as advancing public health initiatives to address community-specific health concerns, contributing to the overall health and wellbeing of the local population.

For example, being able to provide education to staff on the importance of the various different vaccine programmes that are available for patients and staff that will protect them from infectious diseases.

Vaccinations for respiratory diseases coming into the winter season are an essential tool in protecting individuals in the community and hospital setting.