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No. However, the leading companies in the industry have already sent many of their staff (at all levels) to the programme. This reflects their commitment to ensuring that their people work to the highest standards of professional practice. Furthermore, NATN sees the Theatre Skills Award as a valuable safeguard for its members. Gaining the Award provides theatre managers and staff with objective evidence of your competence which means that they can be more confident that they are managing risks effectively and working within the framework of clinical governance.
Absolutely not. The Theatre Skills Award programme is taught by experienced theatre personnel, medical staff and industry experts. We teach real skills - and we do it in real operating theatres. The whole programme is based on ensuring that your company's customers teach you what they expect from you.
We have made provision for experienced personnel to attend the one-day programme so that they can have a brief update on some key issues then sit the examination and undergo the practical assessments which lead to qualification. We will not, though, issue a certificate without the individual having completed the assessment process.
No. Theatre Skills Award photo-ID cards have an expiry date two years from their date of issue. At that stage, we offer a recertification programme which is similar to the one-day programme which confirms that you meet the standards currently required to work in theatres. If your company prefers, more frequent refresher training and re-certification can be arranged.
We don't think so. Sending experienced people on the one-day programme is quite inexpensive at £500 plus VAT. The fully inclusive residential programme (£990 plus VAT) is also excellent value. Our fees are based on the use of experienced theatre and industry professionals as tutors, and the use of fully-equipped operating theatres for the practical sessions. We believe that is a small price to pay for enhanced patient safety and reinforcement of our industry's high professional reputation. Further savings are available - by arranging your own accommodation, by booking a complete course (minimum 12 delegates, maximum 16), or simply by letting us know that you would like to send a small group of people to evaluate the programme for possible wider use. Please contact us to discuss potential savings.
Individual Theatre Managers, Directors of Nursing, Trust General Managers or even the Departments of Health in the UK may decide that companies should be required to provide proof of training to an established standard to obtain entry to operating theatres. This is already the case in the USA, where both the American College of Surgeons and AORN have detailed their expectations of the competence standards required of Product Specialists Rather than have these policies imposed, we suggest that the industry should set its own standards voluntarily - self regulation is the more desirable route. For that reason, we are working with the Association of British Healthcare Industries to pilot a professional code of conduct and to establish an industry training and qualification structure.
Although the UK pharmaceutical industry has a long-established Code of Practice, the broad "devices" industry doesn't. Certainly, parts of the industry (e.g. the orthopaedics sub-group of ABHI) have their own excellent codes of conduct, but there is no single or unified code for companies whose staff need to work in operating theatres. These sessions aim to encourage thought and debate on professional conduct in theatres.
We are based in Clydebank because we make extensive use of operating theatres within the HCI International Medical Centre. That means that we don 't have to simulate our practical sessions - they take place in your real-life working environment. That issue aside, it isn't difficult to get to Clydebank. We are only a few miles from the M8, which is connected to the M73, M74 and M6 for those travelling by car. Train services to Glasgow are excellent, and good links (taxi or local trains) exist to serve Clydebank. Finally, we are just across the River Clyde from Glasgow Airport (a 20 minute taxi ride). We are currently examining the possibility of delivering some courses in the south of England, in Ireland and at selected centres in continental Europe.
Yes. We are able to offer a range of programmes to suit individual companies' needs. These may be for your own staff (e.g. additional input into basic training, sales conferences, sales management, marketing, etc.) or for your customers (e.g. product training and extended in-service facilities, including use of our theatres). Please contact us to discuss your needs. If your people or your customers need specialist and practical training in the detailed aspects of any surgical speciality, please contact us. We would be delighted to help. |
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Qualification BTEC/EDEXCEL qualifications are internationally recognized and accepted by the entire healthcare industry. |