Running a one-stop clinic for patients with inflammatory bowel disease

The inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) clinical nurse specialist (CNS) service at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals (MYH) has been an integral part of the gastroenterology department since its inception in 2006. At that time I worked in the endoscopy unit as a senior staff nurse.

I gained my first real exposure to patients with IBD there, having been involved in caring for newly diagnosed patients and those with long-standing refractory disease.

I was concerned at the impact the disease was having on patients' lives and wanted to learn more about the IBD CNS role and get involved in patient care and management.

This came to fulfilment in 2009 when the opportunity of a secondment as a band 6 IBD CNS arose. I was fortunate to be successful and to join the team, although, initially, I found the role of a specialist nurse challenging and very different from the routine of the endoscopy procedures I was so familiar with. However, I began to develop my skills of patient assessment, communication and knowledge of drug treatments, enabling me to assist patients to recover from their relapsing symptoms. This is something I find very satisfying to this day, and I enjoy seeing patients get back to health and get on with their lives with confidence, assured that they are in control of their IBD.