I am Alison Neale and I am an Acute and Chronic Pain Clinical Nurse Specialist.
I qualified in 1998 as a RGN. I have worked on a variety of wards, including medical and surgical wards here and at Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital. I joined the team in 2015, prior to that I had spent the previous 9 years working in intensive cares.
My qualifications are DipHE Nursing Studies, Mentorship, Pain Course, ITU course, BSc (Hons), CALS and Acupuncture.
I am involved in the management and care of patients experiencing acute pain throughout the trust. The majority of patients are post op receiving PCAs (patient controlled analgesia) epidural analgesia, spinal opiates or nerve blocks for their pain relief. I am available to advise and support other patients experiencing unresolved pain. I also offer support to nursing staff in the management of all patients experiencing acute pain.
I hold regular clinics for outpatients with chronic pain; we do analgesia reviews, teach self-management strategies and perform post intervention follow-ups.
Additionally I am involved in teaching new and existing members of staff in the importance of pain management strategies. We run quarterly study days for all staff members and teach on various other courses across the Trust.