Julia joined the hospital as a consultant nurse eight years ago, and has always been committed to making the patients in her care as comfortable as possible. She conceived the idea of improving catheter care and reducing urinary tract infections (UTIs) associated with catheter usage within her hospital. It is estimated that there are 3,500 people in the UK that die each year from sepsis caused by catheter related UTIs.
Julia told us how she went about creating the project. “There were three different parts to what my team and I did. We first organised an audit of patients, and this showed us that there were problems with people not being aware of the risks that occur when people are forced to use catheters for a long time. Then we came up with a definition of a catheter related UTI. This was actually really important so we could assess the data to know what we were dealing with. And then finally, what we’re doing now is trying to improve the training across the hospital of how to best use catheters.”
The work Julia has done with her team has greatly changed the culture of the hospital. “I think people understand the risks of catheters now. Patients are more informed about them and they aren’t just used for convenience anymore. There are other ways of helping people with their continence sometimes, and it’s important to use alternatives when you can.”
Julia sees the award as being an indication of the performance of the team, as opposed to her individual efforts. “Of course it feels like a huge privilege to win the award, but it’s an award for all of us. I would never see it as a prize just for me, but I feel really satisfied to have been honoured in this way.”
For Julia, the most important thing is that patient care has been improved as a result of the work that has been done. The overuse of catheters is not good for patients. It is important that we always ask patients what they want and keep them well informed. The more patients and medical professionals are aware of the risks of catheters, the better the treatment we can give them.”
TUF Chief Executive, Louise de Winter, said: “TUF has always strived to support the brightest and best in urology to ensure that excellent patient care is at the forefront. Julia’s project in improving catheter care highlights just how important nurse-led care is to a patient’s quality of life.”
The Urology Nurse of the Year is awarded by TUF and BAUN in recognition of outstanding contributions by a nurse in the field of urology. It is to acknowledge that their commitment has gone above and beyond in their role and demonstrated care innovation, transformation and collaboration that supports an exceptional patient experience.