Turning learning into action

Abstract

august 21 :: vol 27 no 51 :: 2013 69 Dementia affects approximately 800,000 people in the UK, and around one in four hospital patients has the condition. Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has designed an initiative to increase the knowledge and skills of healthcare assistants (HCAs) to improve the care of these patients. Fifty HCAs enrolled on the Open University online Improving Dementia Care programme, which places emphasis on participants creating action plans for improvements in practice (see box). The trust arranged for: a launch by Alzheimer’s Society trustee Pippa Gough; study time so that learning could happen in the workplace; ward sisters to be informed about the HCAs’ learning objectives, so they could provide learning opportunities; contact sessions for participants to share experiences with peers; and a formal presentation to complete the programme. The HCAs’ fi rst task is to pilot the This is Me document published by the Alzheimer’s Society inviting patients to list their routines and preferences. This resource helps hospital staff to provide individualised care quickly. The trust is confi dent that the initiative will improve care for people with dementia and provide opportunities for HCAs’ personal growth. HCAs are important members of the nursing team and deserve a share of the trust’s investment in staff development NS