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The Importance of Manual Handling Awareness in Nursing

Manual Handling can be defined as transporting or supporting a load either by hand or by utilizing any other part of the body. It includes lowering, lifting, pulling, pushing or simply throwing a load away. In healthcare industry, this is not simply a load. It is a human body carrying injuries, disabilities or simply immobility and this handling of 60-80 kg of weight has to be done with the utmost of care. In any other Industry, this weight would have required the involvement of forklifts, but in healthcare industry the load has to be shared by nurses. Thus manual handling training for nurses is an integral part of any nursing assignment and nursing course.

It has been observed around the world that manual handling results in most injuries and aggravated chronic back pain to nursing professionals. It also results in the most number of injury related leaves and attrition from the nursing profession. Thus a proper manual handling training for nurses is imperative to prevent injuries to nursing personnel and deliverance of utmost care to patients. All nursing schools should be having a manual handling course for nurses, detailing out complex patient handling techniques, risks and prevention of potential injuries. It's important that nurses are trained and educated about the effects of manual handling.

 What are the major contributors to nurse injuries?

 The following incidences contribute majorly to nurse injury:

1. Manual handling of patients

2. Muscular stress involved with handling of heavy patients with aggravated injuries

3. Falls, trips and slips

4. Handling of trolleys and adjustment of beds

5. Handling of linens and aprons

 A proper manual handling training for nurses involves an enhanced adaptation to manual handling principles, elimination of injury risks and utilization of mechanical devices for handling of load, wherever suitable and applicable.

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Strategies for choosing the perfect CPD courses

Practicing nurses are often faced with the question of how to get CPD points for nurses online and what re the best CPD courses to register for? Keeping up-to-date with the latest skills and knowledge in the healthcare industry is of significant importance for practicing nurses. There is a requirement for practicing nurses to undertake 35 hours of CPD courses for nurses relevant to their work before their registration comes up for renewal every three years or prior to registering. Out of those 35 hours of CPD, a minimum of 20 hours should be participative learning. Nursing education is a continuing learning process and it's never too late to start earning CPD points.

Participatory learning often involves virtual learning, where the instructors and co-learners are logging into the same learning module from different locations. This is particularly useful for practicing nurses as they are not required to take a break from service to enhance their knowledge and skills.

There are no particular recommendations from the regulatory bodies like the Nursing and Midwifery Council about the types of CPD courses to be taken up. It is upto the nursing individuals to decide what course would be more suitable for their own domain of assigned work. As of date there are a wide variety of training resources available ranging from basic first aid management to a curriculum on Life Support Management. GNLA currently offers unlimited access to all nursing CPD courses in a package of 43 courses at a monthly subscription.  

Now, comes the tricky part. What are the particulars a nursing professional or student should look for in a particular course before finalizing a selection on CPD courses for nurses? Every course has its own pros and cons attached to it which should be carefully weighed out before making a selection. Nurses in service can have consultation with their colleagues and their managers to have an idea about which skills come up for evaluation during yearly appraisals and will also be a value addition to their current job profile. A carefully chosen out CPD course ultimately enhances the quality of healthcare discharge and refreshes the working fundamentals.

The other factor to be accounted for is the requirements of patients as this varies in different geographical areas. A certain set of skills may be mandatory in a set of countries while a different skill set might be expected of nurses in a different geographical setup. Some Hospitals and recruiters prefer University level knowledge heavy courses while others might prefer their nurses to be fluent in use of advanced techniques of  healthcare administration.

Once a nursing CPD course is finalized it is important to be clear about what learning and development the course has on offer and what commitment it requires from an individual and an employer in terms of financial support and contact hours.

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Why Basic Life Support Course is a must for Nursing Training

Basic Life Support is the first level of medical response given to patients suffering from choking drowning or under a cardiac arrest. It is used for reviving patients in emergency situations till a professional medico is able to take charge. It has been observed in medical curriculum across the world that while BLS is included as a part of first aid training courses, nursing students have been found to significantly lack knowledge for identifying the signs and factors associated with serious medical conditions and respond accordingly. This is why a specialized course in Basic Life Support as a part of Continuing Nursing Education is a must in the nursing profession and online training for nurses is highly advised for nurses in employment.

At a primary level, BLS involves securing the proper circulation of air through maintaining normal breathing of the patient to keep them alive till help is forthcoming. BLS includes Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) maneuver in Cardiopulmonary Arrest (CPA) victims, defibrillation using Automated External Defibrillators (AED) and airway clearance maneuver to remove the presence of a foreign body. Early recognition and prompt and effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation are crucial to successful outcome following a cardiac arrest. Basic life support is the foundation for saving lives after cardiac arrest. Online courses on BLS are available at GNLA which provides unlimited access to all nursing CPD courses and aids online training for nurses.

The major learning outcomes of the course includes the symptoms of Cardiac Arrest and chain of survival, followed by different mechanisms of chest compression to be followed for adult, child and infant. This is followed by an overview of Defibrillation techniques using Automated External Defibillators and Airway Clearance Techniques. The major goal of the entire operation should be to provide the patient relief from choking.

GNLA offers various other CPD Courses and if you are thinking of how to get cpd points for nurses online this is the perfect place to browse through nursing cpd courses and start earning cpd points online.

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5 Benefits of Online Nursing Courses

Faced with a growing shortage of qualified and experienced nurses, Hospitals around the world are opting for encouraging their registered nurses (RNs) to go for short-time online nursing programs, rather than leaving work and going back to school altogether. With more than 50% of the average work force of nurses close to retirement age, and young nurses struggling to keep pace with the latest technological and academic development in the field of medical sciences. The nursing colleges are therefore, blending on-field real times experiences with online training for nurses and interactive course work and learning videos to keep working nurses updated with latest developments. It has also been generally observed that mortality rates decrease with an increase in continuing nursing education and upgrade in professional skills.

 The online nursing programs are highly in demand and here are 5 reasons explaining why:

  1. Flexibility and Convenience - GNLA's online nursing programs offers working nurses the flexibility and convenience to pace and schedule their nursing CPD courses as per their own convenience. The courses can be availed 24*7 and  can be accessed by nurses from anywhere through their laptops, even in their free hours at work. 

 2. Earn CPD Points Online - The courses offered on GNLA's online nursing portal, help nurses to accrue valuable CPD points online. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) has always been an invaluable part of nursing education and helps nurses and mid-wives keep up to date with their training and deliver the best of treatment to patients. It also lets their supervisors keep a track of their progress in professional knowledge and provide advice and help as and when required.

 3. Create More Career Advancement Opportunities - When you are looking for employment post completion of your nursing graduation degree, the employers are looking for both updated knowledge levels at par with latest development and happenings in the medical science domain, as well as experience of administering the skills in a real time scenario. Interactive online nursing programs offer Unlimited Access to all Nursing CPD Courses at nominal monthly charges and the nurses are never detached from the latest courses and techniques. This increases the employment opportunities as well as chances of a well earned raise at work with accumulation of CPD points nursing.

 4. Get accredited at lesser Costs - The costs of online nursing courses are miniscule when compared to a full time course at a nursing college and also doesn't require logistics arrangement. In the initial days of a nursing career, its often not feasible for young interns to go for further professional development at nursing colleges. Online access of all text books and study materials also cost a fraction of published books and are the latest versions on major advancements in medical science.

 5. A Varied Choice of Offered Courses - Often, it is the scenario that the courses on offer in a medical college are tried and tested from an academic point of view but in practical situations, the nurses require some more specific and state-of-the art courses for an enhanced performance. Such courses range from Anger Management to Hospital Ward Management, from Cardiovascular Critical Care Management to Evidence Based Nursing and Advanced Infection Management, GNLA's course bucket has it all.

  So why wait?

Start earning CPD points

today, and gain

Unlimited access to all Nursing CPD courses.

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The Importance of Continuing Nursing Education

 The field of medicine and healthcare is evolving at a speed much faster than the pace of upgradation of curriculum due to rapid advancements in the domain of technology. With increase in complexity of ailments, introduction of latest generational drugs and introduction of artificial intelligence in healthcare, the importance of Continuing Nursing Education cannot be ignored.

 While nursing techniques are continuously changing, it is imperative to know the reasons behind the change and the huge difference it can make to the outcome of patient treatment. It has been generally observed that mortality rates of patients decrease with increase in education level and certified training of nurses. Continuing nursing education courses significantly affect the quality of patient care and treatment outcome as the skill sets of nurses are in tune with the expectations of patients and advancement in medical technology.  

 Continuing nursing education comes in different forms. Nurses can go back to their classes to advance their formal degrees with specialisations in administration, ward management, outpatient handling, distress management etc. There are also various short term certification courses including informatics, gastroenterology, med-surg, and peri-operative nursing. Apart from these, there are various course-on-the-go options for nurses in regular duties, where online nursing courses can be accessed through premier learning hubs along with earning CPD points recognized by various agencies and employers. A fixed number of contact hours go a long way in upskilling healthcare professionals through Nursing CPD Courses and increasing their employability opportunities. The cost of nursing programs is usually reimbursed by Hospital Management or the nurses receive a hike in pay after completion of degrees and certifications.

 Continuing education for nurses not only keeps nurses up to date on the latest advances in care and treatment, but it offers nurses an opportunity to explore other areas of nursing leadership such as Aggression Management, Clinical Leadership and Management, Human Resource Management. Nursing offers such a vast array of specialities and practice areas, nurses should never burn out. Just keep learning and moving. Explore the profession through continuing education courses for nurses.