A new ‘Chester chest’ training aid, purchased by the Fortuneswell Cancer Trust, has recently been presented to staff on the Fortuneswell Unit at Dorset County Hospital.
Many patients with cancer who are requiring ongoing chemotherapy and other systemic treatments have a portacath inserted and it does require skill to be able to insert the correct needle into the device. Patients with cancer are the predominant population of people who have a port and it is designed to make life easier for the patient who needs ongoing access to veins. The ‘Chester chest’ allows staff to be trained and become familiar with this procedure.
The senior chemotherapy nurses provide training to their colleagues in the emergency care department along with staff in other places such as CT scanning department and the purchase of this new ‘Chester chest’ will allow the Unit’s current chest to be passed on to the emergency care department to give staff there the opportunity for more practice to improve their skills so that they are much better equipped when a real patient comes along.