A group of the Island’s St John Ambulance Cadets recently visited Noble’s Hospital and were given a guided tour around several departments to see behind the scenes and learn more about delivering care in a hospital.
Despite the cadets’ keen interest in first aid and the opportunity to see a hospital at work, it was Dottie – a hearing dog – that proved the highlight of the visit.
Dottie belongs to Audiologist Vicky McLeman who has been deaf from birth and wears a cochlear implant. Dottie is trained to alert Vicky to sounds she may not normally hear such as the doorbell, fire alarm and the telephone ringing. Dottie can even understand sign language. As such, Dottie rarely leaves Vicky’s side, even coming to work with her.
Vicky explained: “Hearing dogs are similar to guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired. They’re allowed to accompany their owners pretty much everywhere, but given that I work in a healthcare environment, I wasn’t sure what the situation would be. I spent the best part of a year being assessed on my suitability for a hearing dog, and there were a number of stringent work place assessments and risk assessments to be completed given the need for patient safety and infection control etc.
“It all worked out, and I’m happy to say Dottie was placed with me in July this year and has made a real difference to my quality of life. It’s hard to imagine being without her now. She enjoys getting to meet people and really enjoyed the fuss she was given by the St John Ambulance cadets during their visit, who were fascinated by her skills.”
As well as visiting the Audiology Department, which tied in to the cadets’ recent study of sign language, they also visited the hospital’s Emergency Department. This reinforced that the basic first aid skills taught to cadets are used in hospital and can be developed into more advanced skills over time.
Stephen Griffiths, Head of Audiology Services, said: “The cadets really enjoyed their visit to Noble’s and seeing the hospital and staff at work. It’s safe to say Dottie stole the show and the interest and questions we had about her made us realise that people are familiar with guide dogs, but less so with hearing dogs. The cadets’ visit seemed a good opportunity to help raise awareness.
“Admittedly, I was initially nervous about having a dog within the Audiology Department. Whilst we have undertaken a rigorous assessments in collaboration with the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People to ensure that Dottie can be in the Audiology Department and pose no risk, we weren’t sure how patients would react on seeing a dog during their visit. I needn’t have been concerned, the patients visiting the department adore Dottie. She brings a smile to many a face and is a valued member of the team.”
Photo - The cadets with Vicky and Dottie.
