Nurse scoops top award
A nurse has scooped an award for her caring work with patients suffering from incontinence.
Kelly Stackhouse, a lead nurse delivering care for patients who have undergone bowel surgery at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, was announced as Continence Nurse of the Year in the British Journal of Nursing Awards.
Ms Stackhouse is recognised for devising a specialist treatment pathway for patients with faecal incontinence, constipation and those who have undergone an anterior resection – a surgical procedure to remove the diseased portion of the bowel and rectum.
The nurse set up the FINCH Service (Faecal Incontinence and Constipation Healthcare) 10 years ago, which offers intervention to all patients undergoing this nature of surgery by providing advice, treatment and peer support.
The service is also for patients who have functional bowel disorders, which means it doesn’t work properly, leading to problems such as constipation, needing to rush to the toilet, or losing control of the bowel following surgery in that area.
She said: “I am so honoured to have received this award. It shows how important a service like this is, as it has provided invaluable support for patients who have had this nature of surgery and who also suffer from other bowel-related issues, improving quality of life.
“This is a very unique service and other NHS Trusts are now beginning to adopt this as a result of the work we have been doing and the recognition it has received.
“I hope that this will provide a further platform to assist us in our mission to ‘break the taboo and talk poo’.”
The service has received a number of accolades and national media attention.
For more information about the service, email swb-tr.SWBH-GM-FINCH@nhs.net
