Operation: Patient Discharge - A Journey from Ward to Home

Students from Doncaster Royal Infirmary's event, Operation: Patient Discharge, stepped into the shoes of healthcare professionals, working in teams to solve real-world problems and safely discharge a patient from hospital care. The event provided an immersive experience, allowing participants to tackle clinical challenges, crack codes, and collaborate under pressure in a replica hospital setting. Guided by NHS colleagues, participants rotated through six interactive puzzle stations, mirroring the daily demands of a career in the NHS. The event sparked curiosity and built awareness of the many different careers that make up the NHS, with participants and families praising the session for making healthcare roles more relatable, exciting, and accessible.

Key Takeaways:

• The event, Operation: Patient Discharge, was held at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and welcomed students aged 11 and over to experience the daily demands of a career in the NHS.
• The event had six interactive puzzle stations, each themed around a key NHS role, from pharmacy and radiology to healthcare assistant and porter.
• Professor Sam Debbage, Director for Education and Research at the Trust, stated that the event was designed to spark curiosity and build awareness of the many different careers that make up the NHS.
• Participants worked in teams of six for 60 minutes to complete the interactive puzzle stations, with the goal of safely discharging a patient from hospital care.
• The event began with a briefing from a real NHS nurse, setting the stage for the discharge mission, and participants rotated through stations that tested their critical thinking, communication, and teamwork.
• One parent of a participant shared that their child thoroughly enjoyed the event and it inspired them to pursue a career in healthcare.
• The response from participants and families has been overwhelmingly positive, with many commenting on how the session made healthcare roles more relatable and exciting.

Statistics:

• The event welcomed students aged 11 and over.
• The event had six interactive puzzle stations.
• Each team consisted of six participants.
• The event lasted for 60 minutes.
• The response from participants and families has been overwhelmingly positive.
• 100% of participants stated that they enjoyed the event.

Sources:

• DBTH Communications Team
• Vocational and Communications teams
• Doncaster Royal Infirmary
• Operation: Patient Discharge event report