IT’S essential for helping the brain and body repair but sleep can be elusive in a busy hospital ward.

However, patients at Glasgow Royal Infirmary are enjoying a bit more. restorative shut-eye thanks to a staff nurse.

According to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde an initiative which aims to improve the quality and depth of sleep patients experience in the Surgical High Dependency Unit (SHDU) has led to “remarkable outcomes.”

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Shona McKie, a staff nurse in the unit, started collecting data from patients on what was disturbing their sleep and top of the list was doors banging, the noise of alarms and machinery, other patients and the frequent coming and going of staff.

Glasgow Times:

Shona slowly began to implement simple changes included adjusting the volumes on alarms and equipment, introducing individual rest times for each patient where their room lights are dimmed and blinds or curtains closed and giving out ear plugs and eye masks.

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She said: “The physiological and psychological consequences of lack of sleep are significant and can result in the patient being agitated, their reaction time slower and their tolerance to pain lower.

“Making these small changes has taken a lot of adjustments to the way the staff work but my colleagues, both nursing and medical, have embraced these and the difference this has made to the patients is really positive.

“We have had feedback from patients and their families with one patient saying ‘thank you for the relaxation tips - I’ve had the best night’s sleep since coming into hospital’.”

“I have had other units from across both NHSGGC and Scotland approach me for information on the initiative which hopefully they can implement locally."