Cohort 2

Mark Ainsworth

  • Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
  • University Hospitals of Leicester
  • @MarkAinsworth84
  • 2021

In my 12 months as a Topol Digital Fellow I will explore the development of a paperless electronic patient record (EPR) for every patient cared for by the neonatal team. Neonatal intensive care is complex and can involve multiple specialities, which makes the need for a single electronic patient record vital.

Developing a single electronic patient record for use in neonatal intensive care

My Topol fellowship problem / project:

The project I am undertaking is a transformational project for University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) Neonatal Service, with the overall goal to achieve a paperless electronic patient record (EPR) for every patient cared for by the neonatal team.

The project will have two parts. The first will be to push the use of the current patient record system and remove the need for double data entry. This will involve the development of a teaching programme for nursing and medical staff improving the use of digital strategies and phasing out the use of paper records. Neonatal intensive care is complex and can involve multiple specialities, making the need for a single electronic patient record vital.

The second part of the project will examine and review the technical requirements needed to implement a full EPR with automated observations, lab results, treatment plans and referrals. This has come about as UHL has been awarded £450m and will be combining the current multisite maternity units to a single new-build maternity hospital. This includes the provision of brand new neonatal unit with 70 cots. This is a unique opportunity for the East Midlands and I’m excited to be involved the development of the new service to ensure the digital strategy is met.

I am a practising Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (ANNP) at University Hospitals of Leicester. I qualified as a nurse in 2007 and completed my Master’s degree, with distinction, in Advanced Clinical Practice in 2019.

I consider myself to have a clinically-relevant, digitally-focused approach with extensive experience in teaching neonatal nursing and midwifery students. I am an accredited Advanced Resuscitation of the Newborn Infant Instructor and frequently teach resuscitation skills, including being selected to teach on international courses. I have assisted the Resuscitation Council UK with the digital recording of candidates’ life support course assessments.

I support the Leicester Neonatal Service in many digital projects including adopting the use of digitised handover tools using bring your device, clinical task tracking for patients across multiple areas, improved unit IT, tracking high risk patients across maternity and neonatal services and monitoring neonatal nursing dependencies.