OTnews August 2020 | Page 24

FEATURE REDEPLOYMENT
Stepping up as
ward manager
during COVID-19
During the coronavirus pandemic, Olivia Hull
stepped in to manage an acute psychiatric
inpatient ward, with impressive results
© GettyImages/coldsnowstorm
As the world was starting to prepare to stay
at home, I was starting to adapt to a new
role within the NHS of managing an acute
psychiatric inpatient ward for older adults.
Prior to being redeployed to manage an inpatient
ward, I was working as a discharge co-ordinator
ensuring the smooth transition of patients from inpatient
care back to the community and facilitating early
discharges.
However, when it became apparent that the ward
I was working on had been left unmanaged, due
to the absence of the ward manager, I took up the
opportunity of managing the ward on a temporary basis
to ensure the service would continue to run smoothly
and patients would continue to receive the best care in
such an uncertain climate.
Prior to stepping up to this role I had little
management experience and I quickly had to learn and
adapt to the new position I found myself in, something I
believe that as an occupational therapist I am extremely
well versed in.
The ward that I stepped in to manage is a 14-bed
inpatient psychiatric unit for older adults experiencing
functional mental health difficulties. The majority of
patients on the ward are under a section of the Mental
Health Act, however some patients, if deemed to have
capacity, choose to stay in the hospital on a voluntary
basis.
24 OTnews August 2020