Update Your Knowledge
Update Your Knowledge training is free to all Trust staff and students. Training sessions focus on developing the skills you need to search for and use evidence in your role.
The training is delivered online and via Microsoft Teams. Please see course descriptions below and select the teaching session(s) you wish to attend.
Health Education England e-Learning for Healthcare works in partnership with the NHS and professional bodies to support patient care by providing e-learning to educate and train the health and social care workforce.
All content is nationally quality-assured and available free of charge to all relevant users in health and social care 24/7.
There is a range of e-learning modules relating to information skills including:
Use your NHS OpenAthens account to access the modules.
Course Content:
This is a taster session on searching skills. Learn how to find evidence quickly using NHS Knowledge and Library Hub, a simplified Google style search. You will be shown an example search by an information specialist who will explain how to:
- identify a clear research question and plan your search
- access online journals and articles in one place
- use search features and limits to effectively focus your results
- output your references and save your results and search strategy
- seamlessly link to evidence-based databases and point-of-care tools
Duration: 1 hour
Targeted Audience:
This course is aimed at those who want to update and improve their searching skills.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the session you should:
- understand how to formulate a search strategy, generate search terms and limits
- understand the principles of evidence searching
- know how to manage your search results
Critical Appraisal training delivers an engaging and practical overview of what is required to understand and appraise clinical papers with confidence.
When a literature search is carried out, finding relevant results is only half the story. Not all published research is of equal value or rigor. In order to practice effective evidence based healthcare, it is necessary to critically appraise any piece of research that you intend to use. These training sessions will include videos and quizzes and time for group discussion looking critically at a piece of research. For the second session, the article will be circulated in advance via email, (to be read before the session).
Learning Content
Session 1
- Consider the role of critical appraisal in healthcare
- Look at some stats such as p-value and statistical/clinical significance
- Consider impact factor and different research methodologies e.g. systematic reviews and cohort studies
- Reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of a cohort study
Targeted Audience:
Session 1 is suitable for those new to critical appraisal or those who want a refresher.
Session 2
- Look at systematic reviews – their strengths and potential weaknesses
- Consideration of different types of bias
- Closely read a paper and discuss its strengths and weaknesses
Targeted Audience:
Session 2 is suitable for those new to critical appraisal or those who want a refresher. The latter part of the session will take the format of a journal club giving attendees the opportunity to discuss a piece of recent research with others interested in practicing their critical appraisal.
Course Content:
Do you need evidence for guidelines; getting published; teaching; research; service improvement projects? This training will introduce you to the various databases available and the techniques needed to search them. In this hands-on session you will learn about and gain practical experience of:
- planning your own search
- identifying search terms
- combining sets
- using phrase searching and truncation
- using subject headings
- using limits
- saving searches and setting up alerts
Duration: 2 hours
Targeted Audience:
This training is suitable for beginners and those with some experience of carrying out literature searches. Tailored sessions for those seeking advanced skills training can be arranged individually by contacting the library.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the session you should:
- understand how to formulate a search strategy, generate search terms and limits
- know which clinical database to search for different questions
- understand the principles of evidence searching
- know how to manage your search results
Further support:
Please email wht.library.service@nhs.net.
This session combines online learning with group discussions on participants’ experiences of health literacy. There is also the opportunity to look at and discuss written patient information.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Targeted Audience: Suitable for all those interested in making themselves better understood when talking with patients.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand what is meant by health literacy
- Consider the impact that poor health literacy plays in relationships with patients
- What healthcare professionals can do to help overcome the obstacles of poor health literacy
Further support: Please email wht.library.service@nhs.net.
The Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures has been the definitive guide to clinical nursing skills for over three decades. It sets the gold standard for nursing care, providing the procedures, rationale, and guidance required by qualified nurses to deliver clinically effective, patient-focused care with expertise and confidence. Join this short course to learn how to use the online edition, how to search for procedures and many other exciting features, all of which can help you in your day to day nursing role to deliver effective patient safety and care.
Duration: 30 minutes
Targeted Audience: Anyone within a nursing role from the student nurse to the fully qualified nurse.
Learning Outcomes:
Nursing staff will come away feeling confident in using the manual. They will quickly be able to search for a procedure which can help with delivering patient care. They will also learn how the manual can also help with revalidation and other developments within their role.
Further support:
Please email wht.library.service@nhs.net.
Course Content :
This session is intended for those new to reflection. During the session we will reflect on a piece of published commentary using the Searching, Reviewing, Linking. Action (SRLA) model. (For those interested in evaluating published research, the Critical Appraisal sessions would be more suitable).
Duration: 1 hour
Targeted Audience:
Anyone new to reflection including Healthcare Assistants, Nursing Associates etc.
Learning Outcomes:
Opportunity to reflect on your learning using an appropriate code of practice. Have your ideas challenged by yourself and others by looking at them closely
Course Content:
Intended for students at all levels who are expected to submit reflective pieces as part of their coursework. This session looks at different academic reflective models and gives attendees the opportunity to discuss a written piece of reflection.
Duration: 1.5 hours (plus an optional 30 minutes for those who want to stay on and begin their reflection under supervision)
Targeted Audience:
Students at all levels who are expected to undertake reflective writing.
Learning Outcomes:
What is the purpose of using a reflective model
What are the popular models in healthcare and the differences between them
Consider what makes a good piece of reflective writing
Course Content :
To equip participants with the skills to complete their own pieces of written reflection. Sessions are targeted at nurses/midwives who are undertaking their revalidation with the NMC.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Targeted Audience:
Aimed exclusively at nurses/midwives facing their revalidation as this requires the submission of reflective pieces.
Learning Outcomes:
Define “reflective writing” and the processes involved
Understand the requirements relating to reflection for revalidation
Study some examples of reflective writing and discuss their strengths and weaknesses
Undertake your own reflection following the NMC revalidation guidelines
Further support:
Please email wht.library.service@nhs.net.
Course Content:
This session is intended for those new to writing for publication. We will consider the different types of publications and the guidelines that usually accompany such research methods. There will be opportunity to brainstorm some ideas. Benefit also from top tips for successful submission from established authors.
Duration: 2 hours
Targeted Audience:
For those new to writing for publication.
Learning Outcomes:
Consider different types of publication
How to select the most appropriate journal to submit to
Consider the various sections of a research paper and what to include in each
Begin a draft of a potential piece of writing
Further support:
Please email wht.library.service@nhs.net.
Course Content:
Journal clubs support teams to review the latest research and ensure practice is evidence based.
“Forming a journal club has been massively beneficial to our team. Using an evidence base for practice is so important and as a result of our discussions, we now have measures in place which will improve the service we deliver to our patients and their families.”
[Paediatric Physiotherapist]
Duration: 1 hour (plus pre-session reading )
Targeted Audience:
Suitable for all departmental teams who are interested in keeping their clinical and non-clinical care based on evidence.
Learning Outcomes:
Learn about new research
Sessions are based around the priorities of your departmental team
Learn how to think critically about articles
CPD points/ portfolio
Disseminate information and develop debate about good practice
Ensure our practice is professional and evidence based
Further support:
Please email wht.library.service@nhs.net.