It is just a matter of application
PAUL STUART
The Camilla Cavendish review of support worker education was clear that improving the quality of healthcare assistant (HCA) learning is central to delivering safe and effective care. Well trained staff should treat patients well, so the point of education and training must be to support HCAs to deliver effective care. But how to guarantee this? In education, quality assurance focuses traditionally on the delivery of training, for example by reviewing the quality of teaching and assessment, and by gathering feedback from learners. Skills for Health uses a quality mark; further education colleges are monitored by Ofsted; universities like my own have rigorous standards. A few years ago, I evaluated a foundation degree where the
NEIL O’CONNOR
Healthcare assistants’ training is pointless if not applied effectively in the workplace, says Richard Griffin
Adult learners need to see the point of learning if they are to engage with it
HCA students came from five different services. All students participated in the same learning programme but the outcomes for each were very different. Successful application of knowledge and skills in their particular workplaces was dependent on the extent to which the employer valued
HCAs and integrated their role into the clinical teams. The teaching they received was not sufficient on its own. Traditional approaches to quality assurance would have picked up that the teaching was good but the same could not necessarily be said about assuring the application of learning in the workplace.
Florence Winterflood reflects on a routine nursing task
Being washed by someone is therapeutic... and a treat When in Istanbul, I visited a hamam, a traditional Turkish bath. I’m familiar with other bathing rituals – steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi – but suspected being washed by someone in front of others was not very British. Having changed, I was ushered into the hamam and told to lie on
the stone platform with the 15 other women relaxing, snoozing, chatting and laughing. When your turn comes around, you are called over and washed proficiently. The washers – women in black bikinis as wet as you are – soap you with air-filled cloths, and scrub you until you squeak. Warm
72 august 20 :: from vol 28 no 51 :: by 2014 STANDARD Downloaded RCNi.com ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 18, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
SUPPORT IN PRACTICE
Consequences of good quality HCA training Patient safety is a priority. HCA learns about the needs of patients. Employers trust the training system. Learning is applied in the workplace. Teamwork is encouraged. More career opportunities for HCAs. Effective learning is a partnership between the learner, the learning and the workplace. Adult learners need to see the point of learning if they are to engage with it. The latest NHS Staff Survey suggests that a third of NHS staff felt the training they received made little difference to their job. Research has shown consistently that the extent to which organisations demonstrate that they value their employees’ learning is a critical factor in successful learning. Appraisals, practical support from managers, the organisation’s learning culture and encouraging the learner’s belief in their ability to acquire a new skill are all ways that organisations can support learning. water is poured over you repeatedly. Bliss. During my sluice, my thoughts wandered to washing patients. Washing, in all its utilitarian necessity, is so therapeutic. Is it the vulnerability of nakedness, or the tactile intimacy with strangers, which causes unease in British tradition? Or is it the idea of someone doing your dirty work that seems indecent? Are we too humble or too proud to be washed? Despite my culture, the hamam felt very much in my comfort zone. From my experience of washing patients, this job feels good and
One of the best HCA training programmes I have seen was called Release Your Potential, a two-day course aimed at building HCA’s confidence in learning. Over three years, I evaluated a range of HCA training programmes. All had used Release Your Potential before the main training began and all had good outcomes. I concluded that preparing people for learning was vital to ensure its effectiveness. It is encouraging to hear that completion of the care certificate, a key Cavendish recommendation, will require observation and assessment in the workplace as well as teaching. Hopefully the certificate pilots will give the chance to look at quality assurance more widely and make sure HCAs have access to a high standard of training NS Richard Griffin is director of the Institute of Vocational Learning and Workforce Research at Bucks New University RESOURCES Cavendish Review tinyurl.com/CavRev2013 Review of HCA training in Northern Ireland http://bucks.ac.uk/research/ research_institutes/ivlwr/#13
honest. Washing someone is a satisfying process, doesn’t require too much intellectual strain, but needs intuition and care; it is a very natural process. Even though I am quite capable of washing myself, it was a treat to have someone do such a routine task, so fundamental to my wellbeing. I hope all washers get the chance of being washed themselves some time. There is no shame in such a fulfilling exchange NS Florence Winterflood is a healthcare assistant
GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR PATIENTS
Just 14 months after she changed career to become a healthcare assistant, Dot O’Meara was presented with one of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s ten unsung hero awards, writes Carol Davis, freelance journalist. After a career supporting adults with learning disabilities as they moved into the community, Ms O’Meara decided to change course. ‘I’ve always been very proud of my work and although I loved what I did, sometimes it’s good to change,’ she says. Taking up her healthcare assistant (HCA) post at the Royal Blackburn Hospital meant she brought fresh ideas to her gastroenterology ward. She helps with washing, feeding and toileting, and also accompanies patients during procedures. Ms O’Meara soon introduced initiatives that have improved care. For example, when observing patients being admitted to hospital, she noticed that their stressed relatives often struggled to assimilate new information; to tackle this she introduced business cards. ’I could see that for people in a distressed state, it was a lot to take in,’ she says. Her cards include the ward manager’s name and phone number, along with details of mealtimes and visiting hours. ‘We welcome families to help relatives with meals,’ she says. Ms O’Meara also suggested an HCAs’ handover, which is now part of the ward routine. ‘This helps to prevent us making mistakes.’ For patients with limited English, Ms O’Meara has downloaded information in different languages, as well as signs that patients can point at to indicate their wishes. ‘The ward should be a sanctuary, a place where patients feel empowered,’ she believes. ‘For example, when we use slide sheets to reposition a patient, I encourage them to direct the process.’ Ms O’Meara’s matron, Tracey Barnes, says: ‘Dot goes the extra mile to improve the care of patients and their families.’ Introducing simple ideas has made a huge difference, the award judges agreed. Dot O’Meara: unsung hero
NURSING august 20 other :: voluses 28 no 51 :: permission. 2014 73 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 18, 2015. For personal use only. No without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
PAUL STUART
The Camilla Cavendish review of support worker education was clear that improving the quality of healthcare assistant (HCA) learning is central to delivering safe and effective care. Well trained staff should treat patients well, so the point of education and training must be to support HCAs to deliver effective care. But how to guarantee this? In education, quality assurance focuses traditionally on the delivery of training, for example by reviewing the quality of teaching and assessment, and by gathering feedback from learners. Skills for Health uses a quality mark; further education colleges are monitored by Ofsted; universities like my own have rigorous standards. A few years ago, I evaluated a foundation degree where the
NEIL O’CONNOR
Healthcare assistants’ training is pointless if not applied effectively in the workplace, says Richard Griffin
Adult learners need to see the point of learning if they are to engage with it
HCA students came from five different services. All students participated in the same learning programme but the outcomes for each were very different. Successful application of knowledge and skills in their particular workplaces was dependent on the extent to which the employer valued
HCAs and integrated their role into the clinical teams. The teaching they received was not sufficient on its own. Traditional approaches to quality assurance would have picked up that the teaching was good but the same could not necessarily be said about assuring the application of learning in the workplace.
Florence Winterflood reflects on a routine nursing task
Being washed by someone is therapeutic... and a treat When in Istanbul, I visited a hamam, a traditional Turkish bath. I’m familiar with other bathing rituals – steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi – but suspected being washed by someone in front of others was not very British. Having changed, I was ushered into the hamam and told to lie on
the stone platform with the 15 other women relaxing, snoozing, chatting and laughing. When your turn comes around, you are called over and washed proficiently. The washers – women in black bikinis as wet as you are – soap you with air-filled cloths, and scrub you until you squeak. Warm
72 august 20 :: from vol 28 no 51 :: by 2014 STANDARD Downloaded RCNi.com ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 18, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
SUPPORT IN PRACTICE
Consequences of good quality HCA training Patient safety is a priority. HCA learns about the needs of patients. Employers trust the training system. Learning is applied in the workplace. Teamwork is encouraged. More career opportunities for HCAs. Effective learning is a partnership between the learner, the learning and the workplace. Adult learners need to see the point of learning if they are to engage with it. The latest NHS Staff Survey suggests that a third of NHS staff felt the training they received made little difference to their job. Research has shown consistently that the extent to which organisations demonstrate that they value their employees’ learning is a critical factor in successful learning. Appraisals, practical support from managers, the organisation’s learning culture and encouraging the learner’s belief in their ability to acquire a new skill are all ways that organisations can support learning. water is poured over you repeatedly. Bliss. During my sluice, my thoughts wandered to washing patients. Washing, in all its utilitarian necessity, is so therapeutic. Is it the vulnerability of nakedness, or the tactile intimacy with strangers, which causes unease in British tradition? Or is it the idea of someone doing your dirty work that seems indecent? Are we too humble or too proud to be washed? Despite my culture, the hamam felt very much in my comfort zone. From my experience of washing patients, this job feels good and
One of the best HCA training programmes I have seen was called Release Your Potential, a two-day course aimed at building HCA’s confidence in learning. Over three years, I evaluated a range of HCA training programmes. All had used Release Your Potential before the main training began and all had good outcomes. I concluded that preparing people for learning was vital to ensure its effectiveness. It is encouraging to hear that completion of the care certificate, a key Cavendish recommendation, will require observation and assessment in the workplace as well as teaching. Hopefully the certificate pilots will give the chance to look at quality assurance more widely and make sure HCAs have access to a high standard of training NS Richard Griffin is director of the Institute of Vocational Learning and Workforce Research at Bucks New University RESOURCES Cavendish Review tinyurl.com/CavRev2013 Review of HCA training in Northern Ireland http://bucks.ac.uk/research/ research_institutes/ivlwr/#13
honest. Washing someone is a satisfying process, doesn’t require too much intellectual strain, but needs intuition and care; it is a very natural process. Even though I am quite capable of washing myself, it was a treat to have someone do such a routine task, so fundamental to my wellbeing. I hope all washers get the chance of being washed themselves some time. There is no shame in such a fulfilling exchange NS Florence Winterflood is a healthcare assistant
GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR PATIENTS
Just 14 months after she changed career to become a healthcare assistant, Dot O’Meara was presented with one of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s ten unsung hero awards, writes Carol Davis, freelance journalist. After a career supporting adults with learning disabilities as they moved into the community, Ms O’Meara decided to change course. ‘I’ve always been very proud of my work and although I loved what I did, sometimes it’s good to change,’ she says. Taking up her healthcare assistant (HCA) post at the Royal Blackburn Hospital meant she brought fresh ideas to her gastroenterology ward. She helps with washing, feeding and toileting, and also accompanies patients during procedures. Ms O’Meara soon introduced initiatives that have improved care. For example, when observing patients being admitted to hospital, she noticed that their stressed relatives often struggled to assimilate new information; to tackle this she introduced business cards. ’I could see that for people in a distressed state, it was a lot to take in,’ she says. Her cards include the ward manager’s name and phone number, along with details of mealtimes and visiting hours. ‘We welcome families to help relatives with meals,’ she says. Ms O’Meara also suggested an HCAs’ handover, which is now part of the ward routine. ‘This helps to prevent us making mistakes.’ For patients with limited English, Ms O’Meara has downloaded information in different languages, as well as signs that patients can point at to indicate their wishes. ‘The ward should be a sanctuary, a place where patients feel empowered,’ she believes. ‘For example, when we use slide sheets to reposition a patient, I encourage them to direct the process.’ Ms O’Meara’s matron, Tracey Barnes, says: ‘Dot goes the extra mile to improve the care of patients and their families.’ Introducing simple ideas has made a huge difference, the award judges agreed. Dot O’Meara: unsung hero
NURSING august 20 other :: voluses 28 no 51 :: permission. 2014 73 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 18, 2015. For personal use only. No without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
