A $4000 chair donated by the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation will make cannulations more comfortable for patients and staff.
Cairns Hospital Medical Imaging Department Nurse Unit Manager Bonnye Miller said the chair is used up to 40 times a day for patients and allows staff to comfortably connect a tube into a patient’s veins so they can have medical infusions or have blood taken.
“With the new cannulation chair, we are able to recline a patient when needed and easily provide interventions for them,” Ms Miller said.
“The chair supports patients to rest and even recline so they are very comfortable. It is very easy to move around the room to make way for other equipment, such as an ultrasound machine needed for patients with difficult veins to cannulate,” she said.
“It is with great thanks to the Foundation for providing the cannulation chair for the benefit of both Medical Imaging patients and nursing staff alike.”
Foundation CEO Gina Hogan was delighted to see the cannulation chair in action.
“It’s not a big spend in terms of amount spent but we can see quite clearly the difference this makes. Patients and hospital staff work incredibly hard as we all know and if we can make their jobs easier and hurt their backs less by providing equipment such as this, it’s a win for everyone,” Mrs Hogan said.
“This purchase was enabled by the Foundation’s commercial operations – the cafes, carpark, ATM’s and vending machines. Profits from these enterprises cover all our administration costs but also goes towards helping us buy equipment like this.
“Every time someone buys a coffee or uses the carpark, they’re helping us achieve outcomes that make a real difference such as this chair.”
Photo: Foundation CEO Gina Hogan, “patient” Julie Selbie and Cairns Hospital Medical Imaging Department Nurse Unit Manager Bonnye Miller.
