Description

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The Safe Patient Handling eLearning course provides learners with an understanding of the principles and precautions associated with moving and handling patients safely within healthcare and care environments.

The course explores common risks associated with assisting people to move, reposition or transfer and the importance of considering the needs and abilities of the individual before undertaking a handling activity. Learners will consider safer handling principles, appropriate use of handling equipment and the importance of following individual care plans, risk assessments and agreed procedures.

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Who Should Attend?

• Healthcare workers.
• Care and support workers.
• Employees who assist patients or service users with movement and transfers.
• Employees working in hospitals, residential care or community settings.
• Employees who may use patient handling aids or equipment.
• Managers and supervisors responsible for patient handling activities.
• Anyone requiring awareness of safe patient moving and handling principles.

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What You Will Learn

• The importance of safe patient handling.
• Common risks associated with moving and handling people.
• How unsafe handling can result in injury to both the individual and the worker.
• Understanding individual responsibilities when assisting with movement.
• Assessing a handling activity before it begins.
• Considering the individual's mobility, abilities and support needs.
• Recognising factors that may affect an individual's ability to move safely.
• Following individual care plans and handling assessments.
• Understanding the importance of consent and communication.
• Explaining handling activities to the individual before beginning.
• Promoting independence and encouraging individuals to participate where appropriate.
• Maintaining dignity, privacy and comfort during handling activities.
• Recognising environmental hazards that may affect safe movement.
• Preparing the surrounding area before a transfer or movement.
• Understanding safer principles of posture and body movement.
• Avoiding unsafe lifting and handling practices.
• Recognising when assistance from additional employees may be required.
• Understanding the importance of appropriate staffing for handling activities.
• Awareness of common patient handling aids and equipment.
• Understanding the purpose of hoists, slings, transfer aids and other handling equipment.
• Selecting and using equipment only where appropriately trained and authorised.
• Checking handling equipment before use.
• Recognising damaged, unsuitable or incorrectly fitted equipment.
• Understanding the importance of equipment compatibility and safe working limits.
• Recognising when a planned handling activity should not proceed.
• Responding appropriately if an individual's condition or mobility changes.
• Reporting handling concerns, incidents and equipment defects.
• Following workplace risk assessments and safe systems of work.
• Recognising the limits of individual training and competence.
• Contributing to safer moving and handling practices within care environments.

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Course Delivery

This course is delivered as self-directed eLearning through the ELMO learning platform.

Learners can work through the course at their own pace and can move backwards and forwards through the learning content as required. The course does not need to be completed in one sitting, allowing learners to leave and return to their training where necessary.

Interactive activities may be included throughout the course to reinforce key learning points.

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Assessment

Knowledge and understanding are checked through online assessment activities. Depending on the course content, these may include multiple-choice questions, matching exercises, drag-and-drop activities and image-based questions.

A minimum score of 70% is required to successfully complete the course.

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Certification

Upon successful completion of the course and assessment requirements, learners will receive a UK Rural Skills (UKRS) Accredited Certificate of Training.

This is an awareness-based eLearning course and does not, on its own, provide or demonstrate practical competence in moving and handling people or using patient handling equipment. Employers must ensure workers receive appropriate task-specific practical training, equipment-specific instruction, assessment of competence and supervision before undertaking patient handling activities.

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Course Duration

The course is self-directed and learners can progress through the content at their own pace. Completion time may therefore vary depending on the individual learner.

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