Landspitali - University Hospital
Caregiver course
This course is intended as a teaching material for nurses and paramedics to guide new staff in care.
The course is not self-learning and the student needs guidance and instruction from professionals.
Objectives:
Prepare staff for care work under the guidance of professionals.
Provide education and training in important aspects of care.
Teaching method:
Watch lectures (electronic material).
Discuss key issues from the manual (.pdf) with the instructor.
Practical demonstration of aspects (video or self-study task from the manual)
Hands on practice with the supervision of an instructor.
Progress tracking. The instructor records in a manual what has been reviewed.
Final exam & certification (with the number of hours of the course).
The student should not watch for more than 40-60 minutes at a time and then discuss the topic with the instructor. It is recommended to finish the course in about 3 weeks, but the pace is varies. It must be kept in mind that new health care professionals need to develop other skills alongside the course.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Now watch these videos on denture care for full and partial dentures from the Directorate of Health:
Also watch these videos on oral care for unconscious patients from Wings Healthcare Training in Oklahoma, USA:
Part 5
Now watch this video on the proper use of Tena incontinence pads:
More information about falling and fall prevention
Part 6
More information about cause and risk factor
Only in icelandic language
More information about Hamur care bundle
Part 7
Manual and information
Landspítali's caregiver course serves as teaching material for Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses who guide and instruct staff hired to work in caregiving. The course is not designed for self-study; students always require guidance and instruction from professionals. Instructors for the course are, therefore, either Registered Nurses (hjúkrunarfræðingar) or Licensed Practical Nurses (sjúkraliðar).
During the course, employees gain insight, education, and training in specific aspects crucial for providing care to individuals. The course utilizes recorded lectures, a handbook provided to students, discussions with instructors, practical demonstrations, and hands-on experience under professional guidance.
Aim
The aim of this course is to prepare staff for providing bedside care while working under the guidance of Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses.
About the Content of the Course
The course content is derived from previous lectures presented during the Caregiver Course, which was offered to care workers at Landspítali's geriatric wards between 2018 and 2020. Lecturers were Guðrún Dóra Guðmannsdóttir, Clinical Nurse Specialist; Ingibjörg Hjaltadottir, Clinical Nurse Specialist; Jakobína Rut Daníelsdóttir, Licensed Practical Nurse; and Sigurlaug Björk J Fjeldsted, Licensed Practical Nurse.
In addition to various academic sources (see the bibliography on the website), this course is based on content from the book "Þetta þarf ég að kunna" , translated from Norwegian by Farsæl öldrun and Landspítali, with a grant from the Ministry of Health. The book was translated by Skopos Translation Agency, and Berglind Indriðadóttir, occupational therapist, oversaw the translation and adaptation to Icelandic conditions. Others involved in the translation and adaptation of the material were Guðrún Dóra Guðmannsdóttir, Clinical Nurse Specialist; Ingibjörg Hjaltadóttir, Clinical Nurse Specialist; and Sigrún Huld Þorgrímsdóttir, Clinical Nurse Specialist.
About Teaching Methods
The caregiver course has now been updated, and lectures and a handbook are available on the Landspítali website. The course adheres to the standards recommended for digital courses according to the ABC Learning Design Method (Clive Young and Nataša Perović, 2020) . The teaching method involves students familiarizing themselves with the content by watching digital lectures and then discussing specific topics outlined in the handbook, which serves as a guide for the student and instructor. They then undergo practical training where they observe or familiarize themselves with specific tasks specified in the handbook.
In the assignments, certain tasks are also assigned for the student to carry out under the supervision of their instructor. This way, the student learns and reinforces what they have observed in lectures, both through discussion and practical implementation. The handbook also functions as a progress log, allowing the student and instructor to note which lectures have been watched, which topics have been discussed, which tasks have been demonstrated, and which tasks have been completed. This ensures that the student has covered crucial aspects related to caregiving.
Finally, the student receives a certificate indicating the completion of the course. It is recommended that students do not watch recordings for more than 40-60 minutes at a time but instead engage in discussions with their instructor and review relevant assignments. Additionally, students are advised to take approximately 3 weeks to complete the course material. However, it is essential to evaluate individually how quickly one can cover the content to ensure a thorough understanding. Consideration should be given to the fact that a staff member starting to work in a hospital or healthcare system for the first time is learning more than what is covered in the course.
Acknowledgments
Finally, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who contributed to the content of this new course. I would especially like to mention Guðrún Dóra Guðmannsdóttir, Clinical Nurse Specialist for her support, and Sara Rebeca Ambriz Cervantes, Registered Nurse for assisting with translating to English. I also want to thank all other professionals who have contributed to the lectures for the course or have content on the Landspítali website that we utilize.
Moreover, I would like to express my gratitude to the group of Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses at Landakot who will embark on using the course in English in their teaching starting in spring 2024. They have familiarized themselves with the course material, collaborated with me in its implementation, and provided valuable feedback.
Ingibjörg Hjaltadóttir, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Geriatric Nursing
Alzheimersamtökin [e. Alzheimer's Association]. (n.d.). . https://www.alzheimer.is
Guðrún Dóra Guðmannsdóttir, Ingibjörg Hjaltadóttir, Jakobína Rut Daníelsdóttir og Sigurlaug Björk J. Fjeldsted (2020) Umönnunarnámskeið öldrunardeilda Landspítala [kennsluefni].
Líknarráðgjafateymi Landspítala (2017). (2. Útgáfa). Sótt í mars 2023
Landspítali (n.d.) Falls and Fall Prevention [i. Byltur og byltuvarnir]. Retrieved in March 2023
Landspítali (n.d.) Body Mechanics and Transfer Techniques in Patient Care [i. Líkamsbeiting og færslutækni við umönnun sjúklinga]. Retrieved in March 2023 from: https://vimeo.com/groups/527560
Landspítali (n.d.) Delirium is Delirium [i. Óráð er óráð]. Retrieved in March 2023
Landspítali (n.d.) Pressure Ulcer Prevention [i. Þrýstingssáravarnir]. Retrieved in March 2023
Líknarráðgjafateymi Landspítala (.pdf) (2017). Clinical Guidelines on Palliative Care (2nd Edition) [i. Klínískar leiðbeiningar um Líknarmeðferð (2. Útgáfa)]. Retrieved in March 2023
Røsvik, J., Brønstad, A., Lepperød, T., Stegen, A., Taranrød, L. B. og Øverland, L. (2016). Dette Må Jeg Kunne: introduksjon til helse- og omsorgsarbeid (3. útgáfa). Sem, Noregi: Nasjonal kompetansetjeneste for aldring og helse.
Touhy, T., og Jett, K. (2021). Ebersole and Hess’ Gerontological nursing & healthy aging (6. útgáfa). Louis: Elsevier, Mosby.
The course is also based on material from the book "This is what I need to know" and is translated from Norwegian by Farsællar öldrun and Landspítali with quality support from the Ministry of Health. The book was translated by Skopos Translation Agency, while Berglind Indriðadóttir, an occupational therapist, supervised the translation and localization to Icelandic conditions. Others who contributed to the proofreading and localization of the material were Guðrún Dóra Guðmannsdóttir, a specialist in geriatric nursing; Ingibjörg Hjaltadóttir, a specialist in geriatric nursing, and Sigrún Huld Þorgrímsdóttir, a specialist in geriatric nursing.