Melanie Lumbers

Experience

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  Bedford Hospital NHS Trust

  May 1999 - Sept 2013

  Tissue Viability Specialist Nurse

  During my role of tissue viability nurse specialist I worked collaboratively with partner organisations developing and teaching care packages to improve outcomes for the local population; in addition to improving care delivered within the hospital. I shared a commitment to ensure continuity of care; thus encouraging community and hospital staff to work collaboratively in developing and delivering strategies to help ensure quality care was delivered. Much of my work focussed on wound care and pressure ulcer prevention and management. Concepts were shared nationally, ensuring patients benefitted from best practice (including SSKIN care bundle). A passion of mine was understanding how and why preventative equipment from both beds and mattresses to the use of dressings and addressing the patients holistic needs; and monitoring outcomes. Again, my role of a specialist nurse within the hospital allowed me to develop my own leadership skills. My role involved working with all disciplines of staff. Demonstrating improvement was often shown through regular audits. Team work was essential; in addition to being able to work well alone. Understanding financial implications, allowed improvements to be made benefiting both the patient and the financial constraints the NHS now lives with. A large amount of my time was spent addressing serious incidents, and understanding how to avoid these in future, rather than the apportioning of blame. Show less

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  South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT)

  Sept 2013 - Sept 2014

  Student Health Visitor

  My role in the community as a student health visitor allowed both team and independent working to be undertaken. Highlighting my many transferable skills, in addition to learning or improving on my previous skills. I have recently gained a far greater insight into understanding local health inequalities; at the same time as finding innovative new ways to challenge these. Health inequalities are apparent all over the county I am working in; but understanding the different needs of each local ward / community is essential in tackling them. Examples may be review of safeguarding cases; the same issues exist in many communities; but understanding how to approach and address the concerns in an appropriate manner is essential, taking on board any cultural or ethical considerations. Show less

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  Freelance and Bedford NHS Trust Hospital

  Jan 2015 - now

  Tissue Viability and Public Health
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  Independant worker

  Sept 2015 - now

  Public Health Nurse and Tissue Viability

  Having completed my Masters (Msc) degree in SCPHN, these newly acquired skills have allowed me to work independently with other companies. Both skills from my tissue viability background, and my SCPHN support work on writing and delivering teaching packages, undertaking literature reviews and summarising documents. New work and opportunities are always welcome.My dissertation has allowed me to explore a service improvement project, and its benefits. Initial findings support a new service, ensuring all parents / carers of under 5's, receive unbiased updates on health, wellbeing and development, whilst incorporating latest public health updates. Research in this area would be required, however I truly believe this project could be taken nationally, and also rolled out to all age groups, from birth to grave, further reducing inequalities in health care, and ensuring all the public benefits from current best practice; empowering the public to make their life choices in an educated manner. Maintaining my hands on skills as a tissue viability nurse is essential; I am currently working bank shifts as a tissue viability nurse at Bedford Hospital. Show less

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  Lumbers Nursing Services

  Oct 2015 - now

  Consultant

  Since completing my MSc , I have been undertaking independent freelance work assisting in the writing of articles for journal, case reviews and literature reviews. An article of mine was published in the British Journal of Nursing - Tissue Viability Supplement, entitled 'Pressure ulcers - an overview of risk' (publication date 10.08.2017). To maintain my clinical skills knowledge I returned to work at Bedford Hospital from November - July as a TVN. Having completed my Msc in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing, I am using my newly extended knowledge base to undertake work as a sole worker in my own company; allowing work to support research projects (including literature reviews and summaries); developing teaching packages around pressure ulcer prevention and management, wound care. Work also continues around the 0-5 age group; developing new approaches to working pathways and linking clinical knowledge with practice.Having worked in Tissue Viability from its early development in the late 1990's until 2013 my passion for both wound care and pressure ulcer prevention and management continues. This work ties in with the public health side in prevention work I have also been undertaking. Educating staff and public is key in effective prevention strategies for all ages; not only utilising preventative equipment and management strategies, but looking holistically at the client from all aspects from mental and physical health to areas of nutrition and good skin care. My work in Health Visiting used many transferable skills from my Tissue Viability background; with many babies / young children facing skin care/ nappy rash problems. Helping prevent problems from an early age has been extremely rewarding; simply by educating clients on how and why problems occur. My work life has been in both hospital and community settings; as clients often transfer between both. Show less

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  Bedford Hospital NHS Trust and Independent work

  Nov 2016 - now

  Tissue Viability and Public Health
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  Luton and Dunstable University Hospital

  Feb 2023 - Apr 2023

  Lead Tissue Viability Nurse