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SIA contribute to new Bowel Care resource from RCN
Bowel care is a fundamental area of patient care that is frequently overlooked, yet it is of paramount importance for the quality of life of patients with spinal cord injury.
This new edition from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) includes updates on best practice and provides guidance for all nursing staff. It incorporates knowledge of bowel function and the essentials of assessment, treatment and management of lower bowel dysfunction. The publication promotes a positive and proactive approach to care delivery for the essential and fundamental needs of bowel function and management of bowel disorders.
One of our specialist SCI nurses Carol Adcock has been involved in the update to provide clinical advice, knowledge and appropriate signposting. A short excerpt of her contribution around spinal cord injury can be read below:
“Patients with neurological conditions and SCIs may have neurogenic bowel dysfunction and be dependent on DRF as a routine element of their bowel care programme. Specifically, SCI patients with injuries above the level T6 are at risk of autonomic
dysreflexia (AD) which can be life threatening and nurses should be aware that they may require DRF as a necessary and integral part of their bowel care management programme. AD can also be caused during or following bowel care intervention, but most significantly
by non-adherence to a patient’s usual bowel routine. Therefore, it is essential that bowel care management programmes should be ongoing and uninterrupted whatever the care setting, unless clinically contraindicated. NHSI (2018) recommend that NHS funded
care providers identify appropriate clinical leaders to review local policy on bowel care, to enable nurses to access education and training. Local guidance and support should be in place to ensure patients have access to staff who are confident and competent in
providing safe bowel care, including intimate care procedures such as DRF.
If a nurse is not competent to undertake this procedure for a patient who requires it, it is the nurse’s responsibility to escalate this to a person of authority to identify a competent practitioner within the organisation. Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) have produced a
standard bowel care policy that can be adapted for each organisation.”
