SUITED, BOOTED AND READY TO HELP Julie Flaherty spent five weeks at an Ebola treatment centre in Sierra Leone as part of a team of NHS volunteers

NOTICE BOARD

UK-Med recruits and co-ordinates healthcare professionals from the NHS to respond to international humanitarian crises. I am one of the volunteers on its emergency register, and have undertaken humanitarian missions to Uganda and India. So when UK-Med called on NHS staff to help with Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone in September last year, I knew I could make a difference.

Two months later, and after a selection interview, I was among 32 nurses, doctors and paramedics who underwent training at the Ministry of Defence army base in York. The focus was on the process of donning and doffing the personal protective wear used in Ebola treatment centres in Africa, including a body fluid repellent suit with hood, a separate face mask plus a hood with mask and goggles. We rehearsed commonly encountered scenarios, for example what to do if a health professional in full protective equipment fainted in the intense heat. After ten days of training, each of us was assessed. The group had been divided into two teams, each allocated to a charity with whom they

Perioperative practice The Association for Perioperative Practice will hold its Scottish regional conference on May 30 at the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. The one-day meeting will cover topics such as situational awareness in the perioperative setting, the Scottish Patient Safety Programme perioperative driver, and human factors in perioperative practice. The event would be of interest to theatre nurses, surgical practitioners, surgical care practitioners, surgical-first assistants, operating department practitioners and healthcare support workers. bit.ly/AfPPScottishRegionBookingForm2015 Innovation The Switchpoint Youth Contest aims to spark innovations that will save lives globally. Switchpoint

From left, volunteers learning to put on and remove protective equipment at the army base in York, Ms Flaherty in the full body fluid repellent suit, and seated centre with the Ebola treatment volunteer team in Sierra Leone

would work for five weeks in Sierra Leone. My group was paired with the Irish charity GOAL, working in the Port Loko district. After arriving at the GOAL base, we spent a week acclimatising, practising getting in and out of the suit safely and setting up the Ebola treatment centre. The heat was intense, and wearing the suit was so exhausting that workers were only allowed in the patient area for one hour. After removing our suits, we had an hour to recuperate before returning to the patient area. To cover the 24-hour, seven-day rota, five teams of doctors and nurses worked three shifts in the Ebola treatment centre followed by a rest day.

participants are encouraged to think beyond boundaries, see everyday objects in new ways and channel their ingenuity to address global and humanitarian challenges. Applicants are asked to submit a video of up to 90 seconds or a 350-word essay describing their breakthrough solution to help health workers better serve communities in need. Entrants must be aged 30 or under and the deadline for submissions is April 6. event.switchpointideas.com/contest Integrated care The RCN older people’s forum and the British Geriatric Society will hold a joint conference on March 30-31 at the Renaissance Manchester City Centre Hotel. The meeting, Making Integrated Care a Reality, will examine how services for older people can be improved through multi-professional, multi-agency collaboration.

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CAREERS

Patients came to the centre from a holding centre; some were able to walk while others came in on stretchers. There was an even mix of adults and children or babies. Treatment mainly involved preventing dehydration as a result of severe vomiting and bloody diarrhoea.

Safety barrier

It was vital that the protective suit was worn during all patient contact, and if there was any doubt about the safety of one of the team, they had to leave the treatment area. Patients at the Port Loko centre had a 50 per cent chance of survival. There were times when I feared I might contract Ebola, and times when wearing the suit was claustrophobic and overbearing. But I would certainly return to Sierra Leone because I could see the difference NHS volunteers were making in the treatment centres NS

Denis Parkinson is working on a course that links the past with the future of nursing, and offers free online learning

A massive opportunity Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, are a relatively new development in education and even more recent in nursing. The term refers to free online courses available to anyone with an interest in the subject, not limited by geography or the participant’s educational qualifications. The concept originated in the United States and MOOCs are now offered by UK company FutureLearn, working in partnership with universities and other organisations. Its Impact of Nursing course has been developed by the University of Liverpool. The four-week online course explores historical links between nursing, health care and the city of Liverpool, particularly nurse education and public health. Renowned nurses will share their expertise, including England’s chief nurse Jane Cummings and former RCN president Andrea Spyropolous. An examination of what makes nursing caring, compassionate and fit for purpose in

Julie Flaherty is a children’s nurse consultant in unscheduled care, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

the 21st century is accompanied by an analysis of the diverse roles in nursing. The course looks at why nursing is still needed and what makes a good nurse. It also considers how nursing will meet the challenges to healthcare resources and provision created by expanding populations and increasing longevity. The course is aimed at a wide audience, including:  Students considering a career in nursing.  Practising nurses who must meet continuing professional development requirements.  Overseas nurses working in the UK.  Healthcare assistants, as plans to regulate these roles are likely to involve a large educational component.  The general public. Although there are health-related MOOCs available and many are relevant for nurses, there are few aimed specifically at nurses. This course aims to redress the balance NS Denis Parkinson is lecturer in nursing at the University of Liverpool

RESOURCES

RESOURCES

UK-Med uk-med.org VSO volunteering tinyurl.com/VSOvolunteering

Impact of Nursing course tinyurl.com/MOOCIoN FutureLearn www.futurelearn.com

Denis Parkinson with third-year adult students in a video for the University of Liverpool’s Massive Open Online Course

Building on the success of previous conferences hosted by the two groups, the conference will include keynote speeches from leaders in medicine, nursing and social care for older people. tinyurl.com/RCNOPFBGS Trekfest Healthcare workers are being asked to raise money for charity with two trekking adventure challenges. The first will be held in the Brecon Beacons on June 6-7, the second in the Peak District on September 5-6. Participants can choose to complete either 54 miles in 24 hours, 29 miles in 12 hours or 13 miles in six hours. More than 800 trekkers took part last year, raising around £200,000 for charities chosen by them. Registration is now open for both events, and individuals and groups can enter. www.trekfest.org.uk

Older people Comprehensive assessment of the older person is a two-day course to be held in Manchester on May 12-13 and again in London on September 16-17. It aims to help nurses understand and use assessments to improve care outcomes for older people in acute or intermediate care settings. Attendees will also develop an understanding of evidence base, principles of assessment and clinical actions. tinyurl.com/AssessOPs Research The International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing is a professional association to advance quality doctoral nursing education around the world. Its objectives are to foster global networking, promote curriculum development, encourage international collaborative research and educational initiatives. www.umich.edu/~inden

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Suited, booted and ready to help.

UK-Med recruits and co-ordinates healthcare professionals from the NHS to respond to international humanitarian crises...
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