Military boot camp for nurses

MORE than 300 student nurses from Dundee University are battling through a military boot camp with the 225 (Scottish) Medical Regiment.

Training with some of Scotland’s Army reservists, students from both the Dundee and Kirkcaldy campuses are developing their team-working, leadership skills and physical and emotional resilience at Oliver Barracks, Dalkeith Road in Dundee and in Glenrothes.

T h e vo l u n t a r y p ro - gramme, called Exercise Team Spirit, has seen firstyear nursing students work in small teams to test a range of skills.

Tom McConnachie, lecturer at the School of Nursing and organiser of Exercise Team Spirit said: “The initiative is designed to help students identify and develop teamwork and leadership skills early in their educational programme and give them an understanding of how a team i s l ed, how roles within that team are determined and how to improve their communication and problem solving.”

Audrey Spratt has been told her 85-year-old mother Alice will have to leave the Orchar facility at Broughty Ferry because of her own running battle with staff over the way she claims her mother is being looked after.

She received a letter telling her the pensioner’s placement had been “terminated” — on the same day she lodged a complaint with the Scottish Care Inspectorate about the nursing home. The pensioner must leave just five days before Christmas.

Orchar said the decision to ask Alice to leave had nothing to do with the complaint and that it had “no alternative” but to take the decision because of 54-year-old Audrey’s behaviour towards staff.

In a letter signed-off by nursing home manager Gillian Hepburn, the company alleges Audrey conducted herself in an “inappropriate manner” when visiting her mother and had upset employees.

The letter added: “We have worked very hard to accommodate and try to understand your conduct over the last four years, however, we feel we are now no longer able to effectively meet your needs and find your behaviour is no longer acceptable and causing undue distress for everyone involved.”

Ms Hepburn also said she was “really satisfied with the level of care Alice is receiving” and added: “We keep accurate records of the care we provide. We are open to any investigation if it comes to that stage.”

She said the decision to terminate Alice’s placement was made after “extensive consultation”.

But hairdresser Audrey, who lives in

IT is a battle between a worried daughter and managers at a care home — and it is on course to end with an octogenarian being evicted.

Joanne

Adamson