Main description:

Clinical Skills for Healthcare Assistants is an accessible, easy to read guide, outlining the fundamental and core skills integral to clinical practice.  Divided into three sections, the first looks at fundamental skills applicable to all staff, such as accountability, communication and record keeping.  Section two explores core clinical skills for example respiratory care, pulse, blood glucose management, catheter care, and fluid balance.  Section three outlines complex clinical skills that require more in–depth training and may be restricted to specialist areas of practice, such as medication, and intravenous cannulation.

Each chapter follows the same easy to use structure, starting with the aims and objectives of the chapter, followed by the explanation of why the skill is performed, relevant anatomy and physiology, related aspects and terminology, how to perform the skill and common problems.  Aimed primarily at healthcare assistants, this will also be a useful resource for newly qualified practitioners and students in health and social care.

Contents:

Preface ix

Acknowledgements x

Introduction xi

Section 1: Fundamental skills

1 Accountability 1

Aim of this chapter 1

Regulatory body 1

What do we mean by accountability? 3

Delegation 4

Related aspects and terminology 7

Summary 11

Self–assessment 12

Table of cases 12

2 Communication in healthcare 14

Aim of this chapter 14

Why good communication is important 14

Communication methods 16

Strategies to improve communication 20

Related aspects and terminology 21

Summary of good communication 23

Self–assessment 24

Addendum 24

3 Psychological care 26

Aim of this chapter 26

What is meant by psychological care? 26

Psychological assessment in the healthcare setting 27

The importance of psychological care in the healthcare setting 28

Strategies to optimise psychological wellbeing 31

Pharmacological (drug–related) options 34

Non–pharmacological options 34

Therapeutic sense of self 34

Common problems 35

Summary 36

Self–assessment 37

4 Documentation and record keeping 38

Aim of this chapter 38

The importance and purpose of documentation in relation to clinical skills 38

Confidentiality in records and documentation 40

Types of documentation 40

Legal aspects relating to documentation 41

Strategies to improve standards of record keeping 43

Related aspects and terminology 44

Common problems 45

Summary 45

Recommendation: the review of Skills for Health (2004a c) 47

Self–assessment 47

Section 2: Core clinical skills

5 Pulse 51

Aim of this chapter 51

What is a pulse? 51

Relevant anatomy and physiology 51

Related aspects and terminology 52

Factors affecting the pulse rate 55

Terminology 56

Automated devices 58

Fetal heartbeat 59

Documentation 61

Common problems 61

Summary 63

Self–assessment 65

6 Blood pressure monitoring 67

Aim of this chapter 67

What is blood pressure? 67

Reasons for monitoring blood pressure 67

Who requests the test? 67

Who can take a BP reading? 68

What is done with the readings/information? 68

Relevant anatomy and physiology 68

Related aspects and terminology 70

Terminology 72

Equipment 73

Sites for recording blood pressure 78

Taking blood pressure 78

Documentation 79

Common problems 81

Summary 82

Self–assessment 85

7 Thermometry 88

Aim of this chapter 88

What is temperature? 88

Reasons for measuring temperature 88

Normal limits 89

Relevant anatomy and physiology 89

Related aspects and terminology 90

Terminology 94

Taking a temperature reading 97

Route 100

Taking a temperature reading 100

Documentation 103

Common problems 104

Summary 105

Self–assessment 107

8 Pulse oximetry 109

Aim of this chapter 109

What is an oxygen saturation reading? 109

Who can perform the test? 109

Reasons for recording an oxygen saturation level 109

Relevant anatomy and physiology 110

Related aspects and terminology 111

Themechanics of pulse oximetry 111

Equipment 112

Normal readings 112

Using a pulse oximeter 113

Documentation 115

Common problems 116

Summary 118

Self–assessment 118

9 Respiratory care 120

Aim of this chapter 120

What do we mean by respiratory care? 120

Relevant anatomy and physiology 120

Upper respiratory system 121

Lower respiratory system 122

Recording a respiratory rate 123

How to measure and record a respiratory rate accurately 126

Measuring and recording a peak expiratory flow rate 126

Performing suctioning  129

Related aspects and terminology 131

Common problems 131

Summary 132

Self–assessment 136

Addendum 136

10 Urinalysis and faecal occult blood testing 139

Aim of this chapter 139

Reasons for performing urinalysis and FOB tests 139

Relevant anatomy and physiology 139

Urinalysis testing 140

Faecal occult blood testing 146

Related aspects and terminology (Tortora and Derrickson 2006) 148

Common problems 148

Summary 148

Self–assessment 149

Addendum 153

11 Urinary catheterisation and catheter care 154

Aim of this chapter 154

Reasons for urinary catheterisation and catheter care 154

Relevant anatomy and physiology 154

Types of catheterisation 157

Patient preparation for catheterisation 161

Insertion technique 161

Catheter care 164

Sampling 166

Removal of catheter 167

Related aspects and terminology 168

Terminology 169

Common problems 169

Summary 175

Self–assessment 176

12 Venepuncture 178

Aim of this chapter 178

Reasons for performing venepuncture 178

Relevant anatomy and physiology 178

Common sites for venepuncture 179

Infection 179

Hand hygiene 181

Aseptic (sterile) technique 181

Protective clothing 181

Environment 181

Performing the skill: requirements and technique 181

Related aspects and terminology 187

Common problems 190

Summary 191

Self–assessment 192

13 Blood glucose monitoring 195

Aim of this chapter 195

What causes diabetes? 195

Reasons for performing blood glucose measurement 195

Relevant anatomy and physiology 196

Related aspects and terminology 198

Types of diabetes 198

Blood glucose levels 200

Hypoglycaemia 203

Hyperglycaemia 207

Common problems 207

Summary 209

Self–assessment 212

14 Fluid balance and intravenous maintenance 214

Aim of this chapter 214

Reasons for monitoring fluid balance 214

Related anatomy and physiology 214

Electrolytes 215

Related aspects and terminology 216

Fluid balance charts 218

The intravenous route 218

Care of the cannula 221

Discontinuing an IV infusion 222

Common problems 223

Summary 224

Self–assessment 225

Section 3: Complex clinical skills

15 Medicines 231

Aim of this chapter 231

Healthcare assistants role within medicine administration 231

Types of medicines 231

Medication prescribing and legal aspects 232

Related aspects and terminology 234

Common medications 237

Errors in administration and adverse reactions 241

Summary 241

16 Peripheral intravenous cannulation 243

Aim of this chapter 243

Reasons for cannulation 243

Why perform peripheral IV cannulation 243

Relevant anatomy and physiology 244

How to insert and remove a peripheral IV cannula 245

Environment 248

Performing peripheral IV cannula: requirements and technique 248

Patient education for peripheral IV cannulation 253

Related aspects and terminology 254

Common problems/potential complications of peripheral IV cannulation 255

Summary 261

Self–assessment 261

17 Recording a 12–lead ECG 265

Aim of this chapter 265

Relevant anatomy and physiology 265

The heart s conduction system 266

Electricity of the heart 267

Reasons for recording a 12–lead ECG 267

How to perform a 12–lead ECG 268

Related aspects and terminology 272

Common problems and actions 275

Summary 276

Self–assessment 276

Index 281