Occupational Therapist Giti Mukherjee won an employee of the month award for setting up a mobility project on the in-patient medical wards as part of “End PJ paralysis”. Giti was presented with her award by Trust Chairman, David Clayton-Smith
End PJ paralysis is a global initiative embraced by nurses, therapists and doctors to get patients up, dressed and moving. Having patients in their day clothes while in hospital, rather than in pyjamas (PJs) or gowns, enhances dignity, autonomy and, in many instances, shortens their length of stay. For patients over the age of 80, a week in bed can lead to 10 years of muscle ageing, 1.5 kg of muscle loss, and may lead to increased dependency and demotivation. Getting patients up and moving has been shown to reduce falls, improve patient experience and reduce length of stay by up to 1.5 days.
Chairman David Clayton-Smith with Giti Mukherjee
Emma Chapman, Occupational Therapist who nominated her said: “Giti came in early each day to attend nursing handovers to discuss all patients that were still in bed and to support the HCA’s to start transferring patients out of bed and to start encouraging them to mobilise. Giti devised a moving and handling record sheet for the patients end of bed notes, so the patient’s current transfer/mobility abilities can be recorded and therefore appropriate referrals can be made to Physiotherapists and Occupational therapist if indicated.
Since the beginning of Giti’s project the number of inappropriate referrals to therapists has reduced. I feel that Giti really deserves some recognition for this project. I think her project encompasses all the Trust Values and will benefit not only the patient experience but will also have a positive impact on therapy services referrals and will reduce length of stay.”