Introduction
The Enhanced Recovery Partnership team launched the program in Early 2025 to educate and support clinical champions to engage the wider multi-disciplinary team (MDT) in implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) initiatives. ERAS champions are healthcare professionals that works in a cohesive and collaborative fashion with trust to share expertise, knowledge, and skills to engage and optimise the patient across the entire pathway.
Methods
The existing Orthopaedic senior nursing team and ERAS leads, came together in 2024 with a goal of supporting the wider MDT to develop peri-operative care and to improve recovery through research, education, audit and implementation of evidence-based practice. The ERAS Champion program was created of way of supporting ongoing improvements and encouraging new developments to our service. We initially recruited four members of the MDT (2 x Nurses, 1 x Physiotherapist, 1 x Occupational therapist) to complete a structured educational programme.
Results
The results have been very positive engaging more people in the current ERAS natives and supporting new and future improvements to the service. The first ERAS Champions have found the program very rewarding and feel appropriately trained and supported to lead the ERAS service in their areas. The first cohort of ERAS champions are now looking to commence their own improvement projects.
Conclusions
In conclusion the program has been a success, showing ERAS champions can have positive impacts to existing ERAS services. The ERAS Champion approach now has an organisational ERAS Ambassador as ready the programme to expand hospital wide.
Authors
Gary Howson
Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Glasgow, United Kingdom