Carer Training Expert Lee Robinson Talks to Us About His Work

We believe that providing our care staff with a strong foundation at the beginning of their careers is crucial for ensuring top-quality care for all those we assist. That's why we have a dedicated team of Nurseplus Healthcare Trainers to conduct mandatory training sessions for all new carers.

Considering this, let's delve into the significance of our training and the essential skills we aim to instill in our carers, equipping them to face healthcare challenges with confidence and expertise. We took a moment to sit with Lee Robinson, Nurseplus Healthcare Trainer, to find out more about the vital role he and his team play in preparing our care staff to uphold the values of Nurseplus.

Q1: Can you share your background and experience in the healthcare industry, and how it has shaped your approach to healthcare training?

• A: In 2016, transitioning from hospitality to healthcare, I joined Nurseplus after a friend's suggestion. Following a comprehensive induction, I gained skills and confidence for roles in care facilities. With six years of experience in various environments, I focus on person-centered care and support, making a positive impact on individuals' lives. In senior positions, I update care plans, and enhance communication methods, life skills, and nutrition plans, incorporating practical experiences into training sessions.

Q2: What specific skills do you believe are crucial for healthcare professionals, and how does the Nurseplus mandatory training programme instill these skills in our candidates?

• A: The skills covered in our mandatory and additional healthcare training courses are essential for all healthcare professionals. If I had to prioritise, I believe communication and collaboration with all parties involved in a client's care are essential. At Nurseplus, prioritising the client is at the core of our actions, and understanding the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act is crucial as well as frequently acting as advocates for the clients under our care. Nurseplus' mandatory training provides comprehensive coverage of these areas, including legal considerations and personal anecdotes, highlighting the significance of these aspects.

Q3: Tell us about unique challenges or situations in your healthcare career that have influenced the way you deliver healthcare training.

• A: I have supported many adults with learning disabilities, autism, and challenging behaviours who have been non-verbal. Often, I have found that this demographic is the most rewarding to work with, having to constantly adapt how I communicate to enrich their lives as much as possible, and to constantly think in advance as well as reflect on what has gone well and what can be improved. I believe being able to adapt my communication and relate to my candidates the key points that influence the way I deliver training.

Q4: How do you stay up to date with the latest advancements in the healthcare field, and how does this knowledge influence your training style?

• A: I stay up to date as I am registered with the Social Care Institute for Excellence and receive emails from them every 2 weeks. Plus, I'm a certified trainer for CPI where I am constantly being updated through emails and phone calls. This along with my own research into Mental Health, learning disabilities, and autism helps to keep my knowledge fresh and up to date. These valuable resources and my own life experiences have certainly shaped my training style, which I hope helps our candidates feel supported and teaches them how relevant the theory is in relation to the actual roles they will be doing.

Q5: Can you discuss a specific training success story where you saw a positive impact on healthcare professionals' performance or patient outcomes?

• A: The training successes I am specifically pleased with are around the communication section of the CPI course. This course enables our employees to be able to match their responses to the different levels of the verbal escalation continuum, which should help avert having to use physical interventions. These skills are also transferable and can be used in any situation, but specifically, they can help our employees understand how their actions/responses can impact a conversation.

Q6: What aspects of healthcare training are you most passionate about, and how does that passion translate into your teaching methods?

• A: Food, fluids, nutrition, mental capacity, safeguarding, and CPI are my passions. My focus on clients and doing my best under challenging circumstances is evident in my training delivery and in the real-life examples I give to our carers.

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Q7: In your opinion, what role does empathy play in your role as a healthcare trainer, and how do you foster a sense of empathy among your trainees?

• A: Empathy, is such an integral element of communication and in my opinion one of the key skills to have. When clients know that you care, they begin to trust you and that will lead to positive outcomes which is one of the most rewarding parts of working in care. I like to emphasize this in my training approach, by demonstrating it when talking to candidates during breaks in our sessions.

Q8: Explain how Nurseplus tailor their training programs to accommodate the diverse backgrounds and learning styles of healthcare professionals.

• A: Nurseplus training programs are consistently being developed by the team. Nurseplus by nature is a very diverse company, with carers and staff working with us from all over the world. Our training programs not only deliver the key knowledge our healthcare professionals need to deliver exceptional care, but we also leave room to expand further to enable a candidate's learning.

Q9: Can you share an example of a challenging training situation you've encountered and how you navigated it to ensure effective learning for all participants?

• A: I have had challenging questions these have been navigated in many different ways. The first is by using my own personal experiences, second, I will ask our candidates to use their acquired knowledge to answer their question together, third, I will park the question until I get the chance to find out the answer and then come back to the candidate to ensure they are satisfied.

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Q10: What do you believe sets your approach to healthcare training apart, and tell us about how Nurseplus works to strive for improvement and innovation in our training?

• A: I strive to do my best to share my knowledge and skills, empowering individuals and boosting their self-assurance. My measure of success is when candidates leave my training sessions with new insights into care. Key strategies include effective communication, empathy, and creating an inclusive atmosphere. Nurseplus continually enhances its training programs, aiming for industry-recognised certifications and integrating technology across all operations. For instance, the latest method involves candidates scanning a QR code to provide feedback, allowing for centralised review and improvement of our training, as well as providing valuable input to the trainers.

Q11: How do you integrate real-world experiences and case studies into your training to provide practical insights for healthcare professionals?

• A: Whenever possible, real-world experiences are shared, especially when candidates express uncertainty as I firmly believe practical insights enhance the relevance of theoretical knowledge.

Q12: As a healthcare trainer, how do you balance the need for standardised training with the recognition that each healthcare setting may have unique challenges?

• A: The subject matter does not change, but how I communicate it or illicit a response may. I often will re-phrase a question, ask the group, give a scenario, or refer to reference materials. I will however always ensure that each candidate has the knowledge they need and will sometimes further support such as 1:1 if needed.

Q13: What role do you see technology playing in the future of healthcare training, and how do you incorporate innovative tools and platforms into your programs?

• A: Technology is consistently evolving, trying to be paperless and helping the environment, so healthcare training is adapting to keep up with the times. At Nurseplus, we currently utilise the Careline live app for Nurselus Care at home and Nurseplus Connect to aid our homecare clients with easier connections to healthcare services. We also have the WorkWise App to assist our carers in booking shifts and communicating with our branches. This paired with the QR code for candidates to leave feedback and the future developments we have in planning will help us deliver additional training courses. The future is exciting. 

Q14: Please tell us how Nurseplus’ Mandatory training programs address not only technical skills but also the importance of effective communication and collaboration within healthcare teams.

• A: Nurseplus Mandatory training programs cover the essential laws and legislation of the healthcare industry and help our candidates learn vital processes and procedures. This helps us deliver comprehensive training that enables our carers to communicate with the various healthcare teams we support. We have added additional information to our 2-day mandatory care training which specifically details the collaboration between Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDT), we have it all!

Q15: Lastly, what motivates you the most about being a healthcare trainer, and how do you inspire your trainees to be lifelong learners in the ever-evolving field of healthcare?

• A: Seeing the people I train being successful and delivering the best care to all the vulnerable people is what drives me. There is nothing better than knowing you have had a positive influence. I always tell our candidates to take every bit of training they can as the more knowledgeable they are, the better care they can deliver. I also like to remind candidates how much the care industry has changed in my time with Nurseplus, and that staying updated is vital.

Our healthcare trainers are a valuable resource of Nurseplus and they ensure the carers we supply to our clients are fully prepared to perform in the variety of care environments they are placed in. It is through experienced healthcare trainers like Lee that we know we can guarantee the quality of our carers and therefore the quality of our care.

If you are interested in becomming a healthcare trainer or you are keen to join Nurseplus as a healthcare professional, you can find all available roles in your area.

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