Aug 25, 2020
How the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the way inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) nurses deliver care to patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Benjamin Wakefield and Lisa Younge (IBD Nurse Consultant, St Mark’s) talk to Catherine Stansfield (IBD Nurse Consultant, Salford Royal) and Pearl Avery (IBD Nurse Specialist, Dorset County/IBD Registry) about maintaining patient contact and managing medication at a distance, as well as answering difficult questions with rapidly moving information and overcoming reluctance to attend clinic. The conversation also reflects on how nurses can best handle the impact of redeployment, remote working and isolation on workload, wellbeing and professional independence. Finally, it considers how NHS IBD teams can maintain service provision over the next year, plan for a second wave and identify and protect high-risk patients, as well as learn from the pandemic and embrace new ways of delivering care. Follow the links to learn more about our sponsors, Galapagos Biotech, as well as Crohn's & Colitis UK, The IBD Registry and the British Society of Gastroenterology.