Thank You - Practice Development and Education Teams

The onset of COVID-19 brought into even sharper focus the importance of training and developing our staff; enhancing their core skills, and preparing them for what was to come.

This has been the responsibility of our Practice Development and Education Teams, who responded magnificently by reviewing and changing their day-to-day activities to educate and support our staff for the challenges they have been facing. 

Sometimes this required individuals to step up and ensure our training met the highest standards. It also meant a chance to demonstrate their ability to coordinate, manage and lead. 

Among their achievements over the past few months have been the training of over 350 staff on our 'back to the ward' programme, and the training of more than 6,000 staff in the correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Other vital clinical skills have been taught too, for example the care of acutely unwell patients and those in intensive care, and refresher courses in the basics, such as venepuncture (taking a blood sample) and cannulation (insertion of a tube into a vein to give fluids and medicines).

They have also supported both face to face and virtual clinical supervision, so critical at this time, and overseen more than 150 pre-registration students on placements.

Over 8,500 education and training opportunities have been developed and delivered by these amazing teams in direct response to COVID-19, including a range of resources created with Oxford Simulation Training and Research (OXSTaR) and made accessible to all staff. Without the concerted effort and engagement of these teams, the delivery of this time-critical training would not have been achieved.

In particular, we would like to mention the following people.

Mary Lord, (CPD Administrator: Acting PPE Training Records Administrator) who has worked tirelessly to ensure the consistency and accuracy of our staff training figures - a significant task undertaken with diligence and humour. 

Kirsten Jones, Finn Tysoe, Jo Glennon and Ariel Lanada (Divisional Practice Development and Education Leads) and their teams for the delivery of training and their support for colleagues across our Trust.

Fiona Creed (Academic Accreditation Lead), and Naomi Clements-Cole and Katherine Walkey (Learning Environment Leads), for their hugely-appreciated support of our students throughout this challenging period. 

Alex West-Oram (Deputy Associate Chief Nurse) for her formidable leadership in the coordination and standardisation of PPE training and 'fit testing' across the Trust, alongside colleagues in Infection Prevention and Control and OXSTaR. 

Mark Statham, Director of Nursing, Nursing, Midwifery and AHP Education, says:

"I am proud of my colleagues who, as with our wider staff teams, have worked collegiately to deliver the outcomes we expect at this Trust.

"I say this again and again but it's something I value highly: 'one team, one OUH'."

Sam Foster, OUH Chief Nursing Officer, says:

"I am enormously proud of the work that our teams are undertaking across the Trust, which reflects the world-class reputation this organisation has for patient care and clinical education."

Thank you, Practice Development and Education Teams, for the vital work that you do.