Advanced
	8 weeks, 4-5 hours per week to complete
	100% online
	Self-paced
	English

About the course:

This course aims to prepare Health Care Assistants (HCA) for an advanced role within the dialysis setting, primarily with regard to commencing and discontinuing haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. They will have the opportunity to develop and evaluate specialist renal skills and knowledge in order to deliver high quality care to their patients.

You will be provided with an identified assessor and supervisor within your clinical setting who will be responsible for assisting you to complete the competency assessment document, and providing practice support. It is important that you take responsibility towards your learning in ensuring that you work together with your identified supervisor as least once a week during the programme. This ensures regular, structured and progressive learning and development.

At the end of the course you will be able to:

• Understand the principles behind the care you deliver to your own identified patient group.
• Explain to a patient their haemodialysis care requirements
• Identify abnormal blood results and report to a registered nurse
• Identify patients which can safely commence peritoneal/haemodialysis under the supervision of a registered nurse.
• Safely and competently undertake a basic pre-dialysis assessment and report any abnormal findings to a registered nurse.
• Safely and competently undertake a PD / AVF access assessment and report any abnormal findings to a registered nurse.
• Safely and competently cannulate an AVF seeking support and assistance where appropriate
• Review current resources in determining the health care needs of your patient group and family.
• Review and revise your role and others' within your own working environment.
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team

Practice outcomes

Application of knowledge and skills to your own ward/haemodialysis setting and the development of clinical knowledge will be continuously assessed by use of a clinical competency document. This specifies core and optional competencies, which are required to be achieved during the course to the identified standard.

Register your interest:

Please fill out the form below to register for the course. We will be in touch with further information.

About the author:

Roseline Agyekum FHEA MSc PG Cert HCP BSc CCN RN | Lecturer Practitioner | King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Roseline's educational research area is long term conditions with special interest in chronic kidney disease awareness especially among people of African and Afro-Caribbean Ancestry. Her publications have focused on vascular access longevity. Vascular access is the Achilles heel of haemodialysis as a renal replacement therapy. Her role at King's College Hospital fosters the embedding of research into clinical care through Practice Development. She is involved in a number of Quality Improvement projects to deliver harm-free evidence based care to patients. She is intentional about developing an empowered, motivated, and sustainable renal workforce.

Course design:

Florin Ivan Project Manager, Learning Hub | King's Health Partners