Who are we?
We are General Acute Surgery, incorporating elective and emergency admissions and surgery.
Our five specialised areas include:
- Surgical Observation Unit
- Day Surgery
- Wards: 105 Vascular Surgery, 106 Acute General Surgery and 107 Elective Specialist Surgery.
Working cooperatively, using our expert knowledge and experience, we deliver excellent standards of care and see our patients through their journey. We take a holistic approach and ensure that all patient centred care needs are met within this complex area of nursing. We are a friendly, and dynamic team, with an excellent work ethic and will support each other through the good, the bad, and the ugly of nursing.
The fast pace of the Surgical Directorate will hone your skills, encouraging quick critical thinking and analysis, especially when caring for the deteriorating patient. Our patients ages range from 12-100+ and we incorporate front door admissions with a fast turnaround to complex surgeries and specialised post operative care.
Due to the spectrum of acute patients, we have a huge Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) including, Specialist doctors and nurses for the Hepato Billary and Upper Gastrointestinal, Physiotherapy, Speech/Language and Occupational Therapy, Social Services, Dieticians, Pain Team, Palliative Care, and Advanced Nurse Practitioners. Patients will undergo a diverse range of procedures including CT, MRI, Ultrasound, Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pantography (ERCP), Interventional radiology, X-rays and Surgical Interventions.
Our spectrum of nursing care ranges from the essential nursing care to the specialised surgical care and complex discharge planning. We will teach you to manage a variety of drains, drips and dressings.
What do we offer newly qualified nurses?
Newly qualified nurses will receive full orientation and General Surgery Induction to our areas.
This will be alongside supernumerary weeks and ongoing support from the education team, peers, and charge nurses, as well as the wider MDT. There will be Clinical skills passport to work through and literature to support development and progression.
Newly qualified nurses are encouraged and supported to gain skills and competencies relevant to their clinical practice. These will include off the ward courses like Flying start, Clinical Skills and in house teaching.
We have great peer support and also utilise the well being services offered by NHS Lothian.
We also ensure we keep a support group both in person and via WhatsApp to support the important transitions from newly qualified to independent Nurse.
What career progression is available?
After a few years, our nurses have a huge bank of transferable skills which allows them to work on most wards with ease. Further education could include the Clinical Decision-Making Course and Critical Care Level 1 course.
Specialised areas that may be of particular interest include ITU, HDU, recovery or Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist roles. In addition, there are always opportunities to progress into Band 6/7/8 roles via nursing management.
Follow the Surgical Observational Unit on X: @RIEsurgicalobs
