I don’t see this as a bad thing, it helps with patient contact.
I just think it would be difficult in reality, as the report says, there isn’t the staff, and it could easily just turn into a chore that needs to be completed.. And I would get really pissed off at someone coming up to me every hour and asking about my needs.. If I’m sat in the lounge I would probably tell the nurse to piss off and ask me in private what’s bothering me…
But from my experience, if I went round the the ward asking each service user if I could help with anything I don’t think I’d be able to get round everyone in an hour due to the complex needs of a twenty bedded mental health ward. This would require the whole nursing team (Assistants and all) to do it, but it could also break down theraputic boundaries, some times you can’t give someone too much attention because that can help play into the illness.
I think this is a good idea… But it does need to be looked at in approach… particularly in mental health.
