A NURSE from Gobowen's Orthopaedic Hospital has thought of a crafty way to help support patients' dignity when using a drainage bag.

Pip Page-Davies, a staff nurse on Oswald Ward at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) came up with a novel idea to help patients by sewing custom-made drain bag covers to encourage patients on the specialist oncology ward to be more confident when moving – improving their daily life on the ward and also aiding their dignity when away from the clinical area.

“As a ward we try to encourage our patients to have as much independence as possible, so when they’re ready, they can spend time off the ward," she said.

“I really feel the drain bag covers have encouraged patients to feel less conscious and more confident, so giving a little bit of time to make these is a huge benefit for our patients.

“It’s been clear that the confidence of our patients has grown, dignity has improved and the risk of falls has been reduced, which certainly makes it worthwhile.”

Donna St John, Oswald Ward manager, has seen an increase in patients confidence when leaving the ward thanks to Pip's idea.

She said: "The team are always looking for innovative ways to make lives for our patients better, and Pip’s idea of making covers for drainage bags is no exception.

“The benefits are endless and the patients that have used them have commented on how much more assured they feel leaving the ward knowing others can’t see their drainage bag.

“We’d also like to thank Textile Express for supporting this initiative by donating the fabric to us.”

And Sarah Bloomfield, interim Director of Nursing, added: “It’s really fantastic to see our nurses thinking outside the box with how they can improve the day-to-day lives for our patients.

“Our patients feeling dignified and confident is extremely important and I am so proud of the team on Oswald Ward for the work they’ve done to improve this.”