Traditionally, the patient would need to lie flat as two nurses who have to use a handheld blood pressure cuff and ultrasound probe; this was a lengthy process. This has led to dopplers not being performed and a lack of confidence from nurses in the procedure.
With the progress in technology, across Southampton Community Nursing we implemented the use of automatic doppler devices. Automatic dopplers only take around ten minutes to complete and the process doesn't require the patient to lie flat. Additionally, one nurse can operate the doppler and there is a visual display of the calculations.
The use of automatic dopplers has seen an increase in the number of doppler assessments, which has led to the optimum treatment as nurses have reported that the simplified process and visual display, gives them greater confidence in making decisions about treatments. Patients have also reacted positively to the new technique, and state that they like the fact they don't need to lie flat and that the whole process is quicker that the traditional method.
