Basic Observation Training

Basic Clinical Observation Training

This Basic Clinical Observation Training helps healthcare workers learn how to confidently check and record important patient information such as body temperature, breathing pattern, pulse, skin colour and more.

By understanding how the body works, you’ll be able to tell if something is normal or not normal, which helps patients get better.

Nurses, Senior carers and other health workers learn important skills for checking patients. This training helps them feel more sure and skilled at watching patients closely, which helps patients get better care.

• Course Duration: 4- 6 hours
• Course Level: Level 3
• Certificate: 1-year certificate
• Max Delegates: 12
• Practical: Yes
• Mode: Face-to-Face/Blended

Who Should Attend?

This clinical observation course is created for health workers, including but not limited to:

• Nurses (registered and student)
• Healthcare Assistants
• Caregivers
• Medical Technicians
• Anyone seeking to develop a strong foundation in basic clinical observations

Basic Observation Training Course Outline:

1. Checking Health Signs:

• Learn to measure health vital signs like pulse, blood pressure, breathing rate, and oxygen levels.
• Understand why these signs are crucial for assessing someone’s health.

2. Understanding Health Words:

• Get to know the words used to describe health signs.
• Learn what different health signs mean in medical terms.

3. Neurological Observations:

• Find out why it’s important to check how well the brain is working.
• Practice checking a person’s awareness and how their eyes react.

4. Aseptic Technique:

• Learn how to keep things clean to stop germs spreading.
• Understand how to wash your hands properly to keep patients safe.

5. Collecting Samples:

• Get good at collecting pee samples from different people.
• Learn how to handle and test pee samples.

6. Taking Temperature:

• Learn different ways to check body temperature, like under the arm or in the mouth.
• Understand how to record temperature accurately.

7. Checking Blood Sugar:

• Find out why it’s important to check blood sugar levels, especially for people with diabetes.
• Learn how to safely and accurately check blood sugar.

8. Keeping Things Safe and Secret:

• Understand how to keep patients safe from infections.
• Learn why it’s important to keep good records, get permission from patients, and keep things private.

During the course, you’ll get to try out what you’ve learned with real examples and hands-on practice. By the end, you’ll be ready to check patients carefully and help give them good care.

Learning Outcome

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Perform a range of clinical observations listed above
2. To identify if a service user’s observation is within their normal range
3. To identify when and why to escalate your findings
4. To use this knowledge to work with other healthcare professionals to help prevent sepsis

Why is basic clinical observation training important?

Basic clinical observation training is really important in healthcare for several reasons:

1. Patient safety: It helps spot potential problems early, so doctors and nurses can step in quickly to prevent complications.
2. Informed decisions: Observations give healthcare workers important information to decide on the best care, tests, treatments, and medicines for patients.
3. Baseline assessment: Starting with initial observations helps create a starting point to track any changes or issues over time.
4. Communication: Everyone on the healthcare team sees the same information, making it easier to talk about patient care as they move between different doctors and places.
5. Following rules: There are rules and standards for how to do and record observations. Proper training makes sure everyone follows these rules and reduces legal risks.
6. Learning skills: Observations teach important skills like paying close attention, thinking carefully, and noticing small changes in patients.
7. Working together: When everyone learns the same way to do observations, it helps different healthcare workers understand each other’s notes and work better together.
8. Getting better: Good observations mean better data, which can be used to improve care, keep an eye on patient outcomes, and do research.

Overall, basic clinical observation training is like building blocks for giving patients the best and safest care. It helps healthcare workers learn how to collect and understand important patient info properly.

Benefits of learning Clinical Observation training skills:

For Nurses:

1. Helping Patients Better: Nurses can spot problems early, helping patients get better results faster.
2. Making Better Choices: Nurses can make smart decisions about patient care because they know what to look for.
3. Feeling More Sure: Knowing what to check makes nurses feel more confident in their assessments.
4. Talking Clearly: Writing down observations helps nurses communicate clearly with other healthcare staff.
5. Making Fewer Mistakes: Understanding normal and abnormal signs helps nurses avoid errors in patient care.

For Carers:

1. Keeping a Close Eye: Carers can notice changes in patients and alert nurses promptly.
2. Making Things Safer: Early detection of problems can prevent worsening conditions and ensure patient safety.
3. Feeling Less Worried: Knowing how to perform basic checks reduces anxiety for carers looking after sick individuals.
4. Speaking Up for Patients: Carers can advocate for patients by reporting any concerns to healthcare professionals.
5. Feeling More Ready: Learning basic health skills prepares carers to confidently care for others.

For Other Health Workers (e.g., hospital aides):

1. Learning New Things: Acquiring patient assessment skills enhances job performance.
2. Making Work Easier: Assisting nurses with patient checks streamlines workflow and allows more time for other tasks.
3. Talking Better with Patients: Understanding health signs improves communication with patients.
4. Getting Better Jobs: Proficiency in patient assessment can open up opportunities for advancement in healthcare careers.
5. Working Better with Others: Collaborating with nurses in patient care promotes teamwork and efficiency.

For Patients:

1. Feeling More in Control: Patients empowered with basic health knowledge feel more in control of their well-being.
2. Talking More Clearly: Understanding health signs enables patients to communicate effectively about their symptoms.
3. Feeling Less Worried: Knowledge of health signs alleviates patient anxiety about their health status.
4. Finding Problems Faster: Recognising abnormal signs helps patients seek medical assistance promptly.
5. Working Better with Doctors: Informed patients can collaborate more effectively with doctors in managing their health.

Add Other Clinical Training Courses

• Aseptic Technique Training
• Blood Glucose Monitoring Training
• Acquired Brain Injury Training
• Cannulation Training
• Oxygen Therapy Training
• Ventilator Awareness Training
• Respiratory Care Training

Questions and Answers

What are clinical observations in nursing?

In nursing, clinical observations mean carefully checking and watching how a patient feels, thinks, and looks.

These checks are super important for giving really good nursing care, spotting when a patient’s health changes, and deciding on the best treatments.

Here are some important observation clinical checks nurses usually do:

Vital signs:

• Body temperature
• Heartbeat
• Breathing speed
• Blood pressure

General appearance:

• How awake the person is
• Skin color and condition
• Signs of pain, discomfort, or feeling bad

Breathing check:

• How someone breathes and how fast
• If they cough or have trouble breathing
• If they use extra muscles to breathe Heart check:
• How fast and regular the heartbeat is
• If there’s swelling or puffiness
• How long it takes for blood to refill small blood vessels

Stomach check:

• Feeling and listening to the stomach (for sounds, tenderness, bloating)
• How often someone goes to the bathroom
• Keeping track of how much goes in and out of the body

Brain and nerve check:

• How awake and aware someone is
• How the pupils in their eyes react
• How strong their muscles are and if they react normally
• Reflexes (like when you tap someone’s knee and their leg moves)

Body movement check:

• How well someone can move their body parts
• If there are any weird shapes or swellings
• How well they can walk and move around

Pain check:

• Where it hurts, how bad it feels, and what it feels like
• Using scales to measure how much it hurts

Wound check:

• Where wounds are, how big they are, and what they look like
• If there’s any liquid, smell, or signs of an infection

Mind check:

• Mood and feelings
• How someone thinks and talks
• If they can understand and follow instructions

Safety check:

• Checking if someone might fall over
• Looking for any skin problems (like bedsores)
• Spotting any dangers in the surroundings

Nurses usually do these checks when they first meet a patient, during regular check-ups, and all the time they’re looking after them.

Writing down these checks accurately is really important for telling other healthcare workers what’s going on and making sure the patient gets the same care all the time.

What are basic clinical observation skills?

Observation skills are a fundamental aspect of nursing, forming the foundation for effective patient assessment and care. These skills involve using your senses (sight, touch, hearing, smell) along with various tools to gather information about a patient’s physical and sometimes mental state.

Here are the five important basic observation skills a nurse or carer should be trained on:

1. Vital Signs: Nurses check important things like blood pressure and temperature to see if everything is okay.
2. Physical Checks: They look at the skin and examine the whole body for any problems.
3. Function: Nurses see if patients can do everyday tasks and move without any issues.
4. Mental State: They check if patients are aware, in a good mood, speaking clearly, and thinking well to understand how they’re feeling.
5. Pain Checks: Nurses use tools to find out how much pain patients are in and where it hurts.

Nurses and Carers gather vital clues to a patient’s health, allowing them to make informed decisions and provide better care.

My staff loved the course and now feel confident to take observations from our service users.