In the lead up to organisation wide Accreditation from 24-28 May 2021, each week Northern Health will be focusing on a different Standard. You will hear from the Chairs of each Standard Committee on what you need to know.

This week we spoke to Debra Bourne, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, about Standard 5: Comprehensive care.

What is this standard about?

Standard 5 is aimed at ensuring patients receive care that is based on their individual care needs and considers the whole person in that care. It also aims to ensure that each patient is assessed at the beginning and during their care for any risks of harm. These risks are then mitigated though interventions developed with the patient and family.

At Northern Health, this standard covers seven key areas:

• Preventing falls and harm from falls
• Assessment and Developing a comprehensive care plan
• Providing comprehensive care at end of life
• Preventing and managing pressure injuries
• Nutrition and hydration
• Preventing delirium and managing cognitive impairment
• Predicting, preventing and managing self-harm and suicide

What are the top 5 ways staff can be prepared for Accreditation against this Standard?

All patients on admission need to be assessed using the C.A.R.E record and then a care plan developed based on this initial assessment. It is important that all staff providing clinical care review the CARE plan each day to understand each patients risk and ensure strategies are in place to minimize patient harm. There are specific harms that are identified in this standard and they are:

• Pressure injuries
• Falls
• Poor nutrition
• Cognitive impairment
• Unpredictable behavior

The plan of care developed for each patients must consider these potential harms and ensure that patients are protected from harm. Most important the care plan needs to be developed with the patient and decisions made about their care must be shared.

What are the top 5 questions staff needs to be able to answer about this Standard?

• What matters to the patient you are providing care for?
• What does the patient want to achieve by being in hospital?
• What are your patients risk?
• What interventions and plans do you have in place to minimize harm from these identified risks?
• Does the patient and or their family understand their risks?

To learn more about Standard 5, please see the Intranet.