In the last thirty years, the technical and scientific achievement in the field of healthcare has led to an increase in the call of quality care received by patients. As a field that undergoes rapid changes in knowledge through new technologies, healthcare professionals must update their training to offer quality care. One of the most important professionals who have to keep up to fulfil this role in a healthcare setting is the nurse.
Nurses are exposed to a variety of practical and theoretical learning since they are students. It can be something as simple as positioning and feeding the patients, or as complex as prepping them for surgeries and administrating drugs. Whether it’s pre-op or post-op care, a lot of training is required by nurses. So what approaches can healthcare institutes take to enhance their role?
Creating a simulation is one method, where an environment is set up that acts as an imitation of the real-world process. By taking part in the simulation, they get an actual idea on what the working environment will be like, and what kind of pressure should be expected. Another tool that provides such experience in medical training is a patient mannequin. The mannequin helps them understand how to face critical procedures and be equipped with the knowledge to assist in such cases.
To hone a nurse’s skill, consistent hands-on training is extremely important. A healthcare organisation can organise training programs where nurses can perform and practice invasive procedures. Especially for the nurses that are working in the emergency of the critical unit, they should be adept at handling any kind of procedure, sometimes under intense pressure. For example, healthcare organisations in India can reach out to The Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organizations or CAHO that provides various training programmes such as the nursing training programs, hospital training programmes, infection control nurse course, etc. Here, nurses will not only be able to practice but can also have their doubts answered by knowledgable instructors.
Consistent training and practice are vital clinical skills for the nursing profession. Instead of just gaining theoretical knowledge or watching an operation to understand, nurses must actively hone themselves with training which would help them in retaining the steps of a procedure better. Once the nurses have internalised the knowledge and worked on their competency level, only then can them become better at their job and ensure quality care for the patients.
