By Rachel Lamb . 30/01/2021 · 3 Minute read
January 2021 is already drawing to a close, and we don't know about you, but we're still struggling to make any new year's resolutions. In a year that started with a national lockdown, we don't fancy swearing off chocolate or vowing to run every day. Those kinds of resolutions feel impossible and unnecessary.
But, we think we may have the answer. Something that is productive and – importantly – not restrictive. We're looking to the future, which is why we want to talk about Upskilling.
What is Upskilling?
Upskilling is learning additional skills that you can use within your place of work. It's generally a word used within the business industry - but the actual practice is universal!
Completing courses either online or in a classroom can make your CV more valuable, and you may even find a passion for an area of practice that you might not have even considered before!
Is Upskilling Important for Healthcare Professionals?
In a word, yes! With an ageing population and a continuing rise in multi-morbidities, the ways in which healthcare is needed within the UK are changing. Along with this, scientific and technological advances in treatments are changing how healthcare can be provided.
Learning new skills is a fantastic way to keep up with healthcare's ever-changing nature.
An important example of this is the recent changes in Primary Care, which is now commonly staffed with multidisciplinary teams who have learned additional skills such as prescribing. This has vastly improved how Primary Care Teams can help their patients.
Upskilling also means that you can more specialised care, which can be incredibly important for your career progression.
How Do I Upskill?
There are many ways that you can learn additional skills to further your career. The first thing you need to do to is decide what skills you want to learn. You may already have an idea of what that is, or a particular area of care that interests you. Or maybe you will discover a new interest!
Try to think about times when you have handed over a patient's care. Maybe the patient needed their blood taken, or needed to be prescribed medicine?
Maybe you would like to sharpen your leadership skills?
Once you have an idea of what you want to learn, there are different routes that you can take:
Postgraduate Courses: there are many postgraduate courses out there, but the NHS Health Careers website has a handy Course Finder tool where you can search for Postgraduate Courses in your chosen area.
Online Learning: There are many reasonably priced and even free courses online which are great for learning new skills without (or before!) committing to a Postgraduate course. You can access a wealth of online learning courses from the following websites:
- The Association for Simulated Practice In Healthcare
- E-Learning for Healthcare
- RCNi E-Learning
- Diabetes on The Net
- The UK Sepsis Trust
- Skills Platform
- MIMS Learning
- Lohmann Rauscher (formerly Activa Healthcare)
- Charles Bloe Training
- M&K Update
- Global Health Professionals
- The Association for Perioperative Practice offer e-leaning and webinars
Upskilling is a great way to rejuvenate your CV and your career path! And this year, more than ever, it's important to be able to look to the future and hope for better days.
