Gaining the award from the Queens Nursing Institute (QNI) increased my confidence and leadership skills which allowed me to push forward with my innovative plan to set up a drop-in wound care clinic for drug users. The support of the QNI was extremely valuable and key to ensuring the clinic was set up in a solid and structured way, as all the stages were planned along a timeline of events. I attended the project management workshops provided by the QNI and gained valuable project management and service design skills.
For several years I had wanted to set up a clinic for injecting drug users because I felt there was a real gap in services for this client group who are so often stereotyped when they go to A&E.
The drop-in wound care clinic offers a non-judgemental approach and engages those people on the streets who are not accessing services. This patient group often misses out on community nursing visits because of their chaotic lifestyles. The drop-in wound care service has helped to reduce A&E and district nurse visits and associated costs. It has provided this client group with a better service.
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