Patient & Clinical Observation Skills Training Course 

In-House Patient & Clinical Observation Skills Training | Clinical Skills Training for Health & Social Care

Welcome to The Mandatory Training Group's in-house patient and clinical observations training course. This patient & clinical observations training course was developed for nurses, healthcare assistants and other health and social care support workers. This practical clinical skills training course covers basic patient clinical observations, glasgow coma scale (GCS) assessment, vital signs parameters and the national early warning score (NEWS) that is now used across all NHS Trusts and other healthcare environments. 

Training venue: Any suitable UK venue

Maximum number of delegates: 12

Training Format: Blended learning, including practical demonstrations and assessments 

How do I book for this practical clinical skills course?

To book this practical clinical observation skills training course at your venue, click the 'Buy Now' tab above, then follow the instructions to checkout. You can can contact us to arrange the most suitable date for your training

Alternatively, contact our Support Team on 02476 100090 or via Email, stating your training requirements. 

Why we provide this clinical observation skills course

Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) working in NHS Trusts and private sector hospitals and clinics are now required to show evidence that they have completed appropriate training and that they are competent to take and record basic clinical observations.

The Mandatory Training Group's clinical observation skills training course was designed for HCAs who are looking to improve their clinical skills and knowledge. This course provides the core skills for those looking to work in clinical environments.

This introductory clinical skills course gives you an understaning of why, when and how clinical observations should be taken, the normal and abnormal parameters and how to escalate clinical obdservations that are out of normal ranges. 

Who is this clinical observations training course for?

The Mandatory Training Group's clinical observations course was developed for registered nurses, healthcare assistants and other health and social care support workers. Many health and social care workers have invaluable experience in various aspects of care. However, it is essential that health and social care staff who have direct contact with patients and other service users develop the appropriate clinical observation skills.

Clinical observations training for social care settings

This practical clinical observations training course is also relevant for health and social care support workers, including those who care for unstable service users in nursing and residential homes, as well as those in domiciliary care settings (complex care settings). It is essential that health and social care support workers develop the appropriate knowledge and skills in monitoring, recording and reporting basic clinical observations.

Clinical observations training for agency workers

This patient and clinical observations course is particularly important for agency and locum healthcare assistants (HCAs) who work in NHS Trusts and private hospitals. It is important that recruitment and locum agencies ensure that all agency workers who are placed into hospital settings have the necessary skills and experience, and that they do not pit patients at risk. 

Implications of poor clinical skills

Delays in identifying and responding to potentially deteriorating staff often delay the commencement of interventions, investigations and treatments. Many patients get worse, or even die needlessly because of poor understanding and escalation of abnormal patient observations. 

Course aims and objectives

This practical patient & clinical observations training course aims to enable health and social care support workers and healthcare assistants to confidently and competently take, record and report clinical observations. In addition, this online course aims to:

• enable you to understand the reasons why patient clinical observations are taken;
• recognise the limitations of their individual roles and responsibilities as part of taking, recording and reporting clinical observations
• identify the equipment required to record clinical observations
• be able to correctly use equipment in practice 
• understand why clinical observations should be accurately recorded (in line with statutory and professional requirements for accurate record keeping)
• identify the normal and abnormal parameters for routine patient observations
• have an awareness of when and how to escalate concerns regarding out of range patient observations
• be aware of you responsibilities regarding the management of a deteriorating patient 
• An awareness of documents that are used in various NHS hospitals and other health and social care settings 

What is covered in this clinical observations course?

This practical clinical skills course gives you a broad understanding of how the anatomy and physiology relate to clinical observations. You will also learn about normal and abnormal clinical observations/vital signs, as well as how to report abnormal obsewrvations. Throughout the course, you will perform a range of clinical observations under supervision. The course covers the following:

• Introduction into clinical observation skills
• Basic clinical observations
• Improtance of obtaining consent
• Hand hygiene 
• Breathing/respiratory rate
• Pulse rate
• Body temperature
• Blood pressure
• Oxygen saturation levels
• Peak flow testing
• Blood glucose testing
• Urine testing
• Body mass index
• Assessing patients’ skin
• Basic pain assessment
• AVPU consiousness assessment 
• Supporting medication administration
• Sepsis
• Additional online learning resources

Assessment and certification

You will be assessed throughout this practical clinical observation training course. On successful completion of the practical course, you will be awarded a CPD certificate of competence.

Online clinical observations training course

Some learners may want to just complete the online clinical observation skills course, then get signed off for the practical competence by their line managers or internal trainers.

The Mandatory Training Group is happy to support organisations (including NHS Trusts; GP Practices & CCGs; Care Homes; Recruitment Agencies; Locum Agencies and indivuduals) with skills training. If you require just the online clinical observations training course, then just 'Add to Cart' (above) and follow the checkout instructions. 

Click here to find out more about the online clinical observations training course

This clinical observations course can be taken as a standalone CPD course or as part of our online clinical observation skills training package or the wider online candidate mandatory training courses.

The course has additional online learning resources that provide more details for learners to refer to during the course and in practice.

Course accreditation

The content of this patient & clinical observations skills training course has been independently certified as conforming to universally accepted Continuous Professional Development (CPD) guidelines..

What are patient & clinical observations?

"Clinical observations skills are those basic skills required to competently and confidently assess a patient's health state, using vital signs such as checking the patient's breathing, pulse rate, blood pressure, body temperature and oxygen saturations"

Why is this clinical observations course important?

Healthcare assistants (HCAs) and other health and social care support workers (HSCSWs) support are an essential part of the health care multi-disciplinary team. An important part of their role includes supporting registered nurses, midwives and other health professionals, with the provision of patient care.

Over the past decade, the roles and responsibilities of health care assistants has changed significantly. In part, the role has evolved because of the increasingly evolving needs of patients and the concurrent shift in the provision of health care and social care service provision. In addition, the now defunct role of the enrolled nurse and shortage of registered nurses in the UK has further contributed to the increasing demand for highly skilled health care assistants. 

However, unlike registered nurses and other qualified health care professionals, there is a challenge in maintaining the continuing professional development of health care assistants. Health and social care organisations have a responsibility to ensure that non-qualified health care and social care staff have adequate training and are competent and confident to take, record and report clinical observations. 

Clinical observations such as blood pressure, pulse/heart rate, respirations/respiratory rate, blood sugar levels and oxygen saturations are essential for clinical decision making and treatment. There is increased risk of serious adverse consequences in most health care settings, especially where health care assistants are not well trained. 

Clinical observations skills - meeting employers' legal obligations

The Mandatory Training Group's online and practical clinical observations skills course helps UK employers and employees alike to fulfil the legislative and regulatory framework. Our clinical observation skills training courses provide the essential knowledge and understanding to improve the quality of life for patients and other service users. 

In-House Patient & Clinical Observation Skills Training | Vital Signs | The Mandatory Training Group