A groundbreaking new course which aims to help standardise the care provided by emergency nurse practitioners and emergency paramedic practitioners has been launched at Cefn Coed Hospital in Swansea.
Staff who work in emergency departments and minor injury units across South Wales attended the first session of the course, hosted by ABMU, which will see them working towards the new Level 7 Diploma in the Autonomous Management of Minor Injuries (Wales) QCF.
The qualification is the first of its kind the UK and Judith Morgan, Consultant Nurse at Neath Port Talbot Hospital’s Minor Injury Unit, said it is a flexible, cost-effective way of establishing consistency of standards across Welsh MIU and EDs.
She commented, ‘I am delighted we can now offer this diploma, which defines the scope of practice for ENPs and EPPs and the types of injuries seen in nurse-led minor injury units. It will see clinicians working together using existing resources and highlights the importance of supportive management.
‘Also at the moment there isn’t a temporary workforce like a nurse bank for ENPs so having this qualification would make skills more transferable. It is also a good way for colleagues to demonstrate continuing professional development and can run for small numbers of staff as required.’
The 20-day programme has been accredited by Agored Cymru and its development was supported by the Workforce, Education and Development Service (WEDS), which helps Welsh healthcare staff improve their skills and competence.
