The Big Hospital Experiment

Episode
Episode Three
Description
At the heart of the NHS are the nursing staff, who care for one million patients every 24 hours across Great Britain. These unsung heroes are at the frontline of the health service, facing the ever-stretched reality of an unprecedented staffing crisis and patients with more complex needs than ever before. This series follows one hospital in Derby which is trialling an innovative social experiment based on a scheme in Germany. Their aim is to find out whether young volunteers can help relieve the pressures of staff on the wards and make a positive difference to patient care. This episode sees the volunteers go into their third week with more confidence. Senior Nurse Karen has been keeping a watchful eye on the young people and has decided to move some volunteers to new wards this week. One of the youngest volunteers on the programme is Fin, who, at 19 years old, wasn’t sensitive enough to the needs on the Cancer Ward and was asked to leave. Senior Sister Karen is hoping he will be better matched to caring for patients on a new ward. He and Michael are moved to the Elderly Care Ward, where he is tasked with providing care for 101-year-old patient John, a wartime Spitfire pilot. Another new ward for the volunteers is Sister Hannah’s Renal Ward. Charlotte, a 20-year-old law student takes Renal in her stride but she and fellow volunteer Eddie must adapt quickly to the demands of a ward with so many high dependency patients facing end of life care. For the last two weeks volunteer Piotr has been part of the Emergency Department team where he has helped to provide care in a department that sees more than 300 new patients every day come through their doors. He has been flourishing in the fast-paced environment and wants a future career in the NHS but this week he is needed in a different part of the hospital. The Royal Derby Hospital has a ward within its Emergency Department called 101. It’s a short stay observation unit, and Piotr is expected to monitor patients closely. After the pace of a busy Emergency Department, Piotr struggles to form bonds with patients and Clinical Educator Andy comes in to give Piotr some coaching in conversation techniques. It has knocked his confidence, and made him question his dream of working in the NHS. Will he be able to form a bond with retired nurse and 91-year-old patient Janet when he is tasked with looking after her for a whole shift?
Genre
Medicine; Health & Social Care

How to cite this record

The Open University, "The Big Hospital Experiment". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/234101 (Accessed 10 Jan 2025)