By Lydia Barry BSc(Hons), RVN, CertVNECC, FHEA. Lydia graduated in 2017 from Edinburgh Napier University with a first-class BSc (Hons) degree in veterinary nursing. She worked in private and charity practices before moving to Paragon Referrals in Wakefield, where she is currently the ward team leader, overseeing inpatient care. Lydia’s special interests include nursing neurological patients and inpatient care. She is particularly interested in education and nurse empowerment, and is currently studying for an
MSc in Veterinary Education.

ABSTRACT Sleep is vital to the health of all animals, yet it is regularly disrupted in both human and veterinary hospitals. The author noticed that patients at the veterinary hospital at which she worked were being disturbed by the nursing care of either themselves or their fellow patients, and felt that a review of the hospital protocols was required. This article discusses the review – in which short focus groups were held with the nursing team to discover the challenges to patient rest and sleep – and the introduction of a new protocol to enhance the quality and quantity of patients’ sleep.
Keywords inpatient, rest, sleep, cats, dogs, hospital, protocols

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56496/ENSC6657

To cite this article: Barry, L. (2024) Inpatient rest – what can we do? Veterinary Nursing Journal 39(5) pp 22-27

To access this article, select one of the following links:

I am a BVNA member

I am accessing through my Institute

I am paying for access