With blood transfusions costing the NHS anything up to £24,000 each and blood supplies dwindling in many areas of the country, it is vital to reduce wastage while ensuring the best possible patient care.
Against this background, the not for profit Skills for Health has launched a new eLearning course in partnership with Charles Bloe Training to empower better clinical staff decision making when it comes to blood transfusions.
The course covers the four key stages of a blood transfusion procedure, from the decision to transfuse and pre-transfusion blood sampling to the collection and delivery of blood components before patient administration.
“Reducing the risk to patients and transfusing only when necessary are key to better patient outcomes and reducing wastage,” says Charles Bloe Training’s Managing Director Mandy Day-Calder. “In support of these aims, it is crucial that we enable clinical staff to make better decisions at every step of the way.”
Learner progress and test results can be tracked by managers for internal development; learners will also receive a CPD certificate upon successful completion of the course.
Registered Nurse Sarah Croft was closely involved in designing the course and comments: “Blood transfusions are most commonly carried out as a result of severe bleeding from surgery, childbirth or a serious accident, with 2.5 million units of blood transfused in the United Kingdom every year.
“Uncontrolled bleeding contributes to more than half of all injury deaths in the UK and more than 2 million deaths globally, so the decision to transfuse and subsequent decision making throughout the procedure can, in some instances, be the difference between life or death.
“Providing the correct treatment and quantity of blood during the first hours of emergency care can be extremely challenging for healthcare professionals. Ensuring that adequate training is provided is vital with regards to patient safety.”
Priced at £12, the blood transfusion decision making course can now be accessed exclusively via Skills for Health: https://www.skillsplatform.org/courses/8922-blood-transfusion-clinical?wl=sfh
For information on volume discounts and free trial access, contact: https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/contact-us/
