Careers Advice Blog

Working in the medical field

No comments

No matter whether you currently work in the medical field or you run a healthcare business, there is a lot that needs to be considered. Below, we are going to look at three different forms of training for those in the medical sector, to help you get a better understanding of the different options that are available to you in terms of advancing your career or indeed your business.

Venepuncture Training

Venepuncture training is done on an everyday basis. This is because venepuncture and cannulation are everyday procedures performed up and down the country. Despite there being no formal training qualification for venepuncture, it’s still important to gain knowledge via workbook training and supervised practical training.

But what type of care staff is venepuncture training targeted at? Well, venepuncture is a vital part of phlebotomy training. This training in phlebotomy and venepuncture techniques is taught so those in the medical profession have the skills to be able to create an incision in the vein for the purposes of withdrawing blood or performing intravenous therapy. For this reason, training in venepuncture is ideally suited to nurses, midwives, allied health professionals (such as radiographers) and healthcare support workers. 

By receiving medical training in venepuncture, you should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the arm’s anatomy as well as to perform the procedure safely, with an awareness of the dangers and complications that may arise. Essentially, this includes the ability to identify veins that are suited for venepuncture and cannulation, and those that are not suitable. Also, training courses in venepuncture will help you avoid puncturing nerves and arteries, which could cause complications. 

A training course in venepuncture should also be done under supervision whilst you are learning. Whilst venepuncture is best learned ‘on the job’, it’s still important to have a theoretical understanding of phlebotomy and the anatomy of the arm. You will only truly get this through a training course in phlebotomy, venepuncture and cannulation.

Admin And Decision-Based Training

Next, we are going to look at medical training from the business side of things. There are a lot of different business courses out there today that are aimed at people in terms of helping them to move their medical practice forward. For example, you may want to take a course on how to use the decision support tool properly if you offer public services. You may also want to look into general financial courses to ensure you main a healthy cashflow and you keep your business profitable. Often, healthcare professionals end up in business-related roles and they lack the knowledge needed to carry out the job effectively. It is certainly worth looking into the different courses that are available if you feel you are lacking in this area. 

Flu Vaccination Training

Flu course options for vaccination training is something that every pharmacist and healthcare professional should consider. Not only does it bring financial benefits to a business, as well as increase the uptake of vaccinations by the general public, but it’s also a great way to provide a service to the local community.

Over the past couple of years, private pharmacies have been offering flu vaccinations after the NHS invited pharmacies to contract for the service. This has led to a widespread proliferation of vaccinations being offered in pharmacies up and down the country. Traditionally, these vaccinations were performed by GPs; however, strains on the NHS and doctors saw the government turn to the private sector for help in providing this service. These vaccinations generally target those who are most vulnerable – such as patients over 65, those in pregnancy and adults that are within ‘at risk’ groups. While many GPs were initially concerned by the move, the stats since then have shown that uptake of vaccinations has increased. This is due to people being more likely to visit their local pharmacy rather than their GP – particularly those in the aforementioned vulnerable groups

So if your pharmacy has not yet tried to take up this service, it may be worthwhile ensuring you and your staff receive flu vaccination training. It can only encourage more people to come to your pharmacy and demonstrate to customers that you are keeping up-to-date with current medical training.

Have you undertaken any training that you found particularly beneficial to your medical career? Let us know in the comments below.

Career CamelWorking in the medical field

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *