Nurse training to enhance care for brain injury survivors
Care offered to people recovering from strokes and brain injuries is to be enhanced by a specialist study programme for registered nurses.
A new online course has been developed at the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with the RCN Foundation and brain injury charity, SameYou, to help nurses respond more effectively to the effects of neurological conditions – a leading cause of death and long-term disability in the UK.
This part-time postgraduate certificate in Neurological Rehabilitation and Care supports registered nurses to learn while working clinically. It can be studied online from anywhere in the world.
The course has been developed in partnership with the RCN Foundation and the charity SameYou, which was set up by actor Emilia Clarke who survived two life threatening brain haemorrhages. As the ambassador for the RCN, Emilia is committed to enhancing the skills and academic improvement for all nurses.
Nearly one in three people will have an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) at some point in their life. More than 135 million worldwide are living with brain injury. However, a lack of focus on such brain injuries in health care means the scale of the problem is underestimated, experts say.
The online course will enable qualified nurses around the world to develop the missing integrated brain, body, and mind specialist skills urgently needed in neurological rehabilitation. A particular emphasis will be placed on assisting the rehabilitation of people 18 to 40 years old – a relatively neglected area in existing teaching programmes.
The new partnership will provide 30 fully funded places on the course.
Deepa Korea, Director of RCN Foundation, said: “The RCN Foundation is delighted to be funding this innovative and ground breaking education programme in collaboration with SameYou and the University of Edinburgh, which will enhance and improve patient care for young people across the UK with acquired brain injury. Nurses are at the forefront of delivering excellent care and the investment in this programme demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting and strengthening the profession.”
Professor Aisha Holloway, Head of Nursing Studies at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to partner with the RCN Foundation and SameYou to develop this cutting-edge and responsive educational programme. This opportunity will elevate and strengthen the nurse’s role as part of multi-disciplinary, person-centred neurorehabilitation care. As part of our Edinburgh Global Nursing Initiative, this new programme aligns to our vision of advancing the scope of practice and influence of nurses for the purpose of transforming patient health outcomes.”
Watch the video introduction to Neurological Rehabilitation and Care Online PG Certificate:
Learn more about the course, and apply, at the University of Edinburgh website.