Another Take on "Making Every Contact Count"

To those non-NHS types, forgive me for another "care-orientated" post. Much of the last two years have been massively dominated by my nursing role and my proud membership of the National Health Service - and hence my blog does tend to represent my current passions. I do still maintain my theological/spiritual interests and have a few subjects brewing - but this one is a post that could not wait!

"Making Every Contact Count" is a very important initiative in the NHS at the moment - we are realising that as health professionals we have a unique position of serious responsibility and privilidge with the patients under our care and their families. Mistakes in the NHS have been made in the past where care has been delivered but not in the right way. One of my NHS heroes - Chief Executive Officer Sarah-Jane Marsh said (in a CEO briefing at her Children's Hospital in Birmingham);

"It is not just what we do that matters, but the WAY we do it".

Consider nervous parents accompanying their young child to have their tonsils removed - a relatively minor procedure in context. Imagine if the surgeon did his job and removed the necessary tonsils, but their entire hospital experience was negative. Say the surgeon was brisk, rude and dismissive and the nursing staff pre-and post operatively did their job and monitored the child but gave the parents and child no compassionate care and support. The objective may be achieved - removal of tonsils - but the family and child could and would be scared by such a negative experience.

THIS is why it is not enough to simply have competent NHS staff treating the patient. We MUST have compassionate and caring (AND competent!) staff who support and defend the patient and family from admission to discharge ensuring the whole point of contact with the NHS is positive. "Making Every Contact Count" is a vital initiative used in the Birmingham Children's Hospital at present;

But I did find myself wondering if many nurses, student nurses and allied health professionals like myself struggle to come to terms with what actually; "every contact" means? Does it mean if we are simply taking our parents a cup of tea we should sit down and commence a sermon on smoking cessation? Surely not! So it was while thinking these matters through that a common motto came to my mind;

"When a butterfly flaps it's wings in Texas, it causes a tornado in China".

This is in other words known as "Chaos Theory". It is technically defined as; "a minor change in circumstances can cause a large change in outcome".

I am not entirely sure if healthcare professionals are entirely aware of the enormous potential of their actions (and contact) with patients and their families - whether positive or negative. The Mid-Staffs scandal demonstrated the hideous enormity of negative contact - and it is a nightmare the NHS should NEVER forget. But something the Chief Nurse of NHS England - Jane Cummings - is vitally reminding the negatively-biased media is that POSITIVE experiences also have a crucial impact.

Many nurses (and I have been guilty of this in the past) have come to work at times bringing "home life" with us. Aches, pains, heartaches or simple headaches - have meant that we as healthcare professionals have not been "properly" operating in the "6Cs" framework we should to truly impact our patients and families for the good. It may seem little to us - a more formal sober greeting of our families after handover and perhaps a distinct lack of smiles and easy small-talk during the shift than perhaps we may do. This may seem like just an "off-day" to us. But what of the impact on our patients and their families? That "off-day" may be their ONLY contact with the NHS during their lives - and the impact they take away is our lack of smiles, care and - presumed - lack of motivation to give them the patient experience they need.