Scotland first for Ninewells nurses

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TWO nurses from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee are among the first in the country to have completed a unique bladder examination training course developed in the city, helping free up consultants’ time for other specialist procedures.

Following a successful bid for funding from NHS Education for Scotland (NES), a pilot cystoscopy course was run by the Cuschieri Skills Centre, which is based at Ninewells.

Allison Robertson and Kathryn Dewar are urology specialist nurses who participated in the training, which aims to increase the number of skilled practitioners who can carry out the procedure. It also works towards improving waiting times and continuity of care for patients, as the nurses who have already seen the patient can now carry out the more specialised examination.

The nurses also undertook a course on the theory of cystoscopy at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Cystoscopy is the examination of the inside of the bladder with an optical instrument called a cystoscope which investigates whether the patient has symptoms of cancer. The cystoscope is passed along the urethra – the tube connecting the urinary bladder to the outside of the body.

The Cuschieri Skills Centre, formerly the Surgical Skills Unit, provides high-quality skills training aimed at improving surgical competence.

The pilot was so successful that another course is planned for urology trainees and specialist nurses in November.

Allison said: “This training means we can follow patients through their cancer management, and that they have a familiar face they can put a name to, making them more at ease.”