Training and development
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust is committed to offering all clinical and non-clinical staff appropriate education, training and development (E&D) throughout their career in the Trust.
The Trust Board encourages and supports Life Long Learning and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and it strives to ensure that all employees and students have a fair and equal chance of developing their knowledge and abilities and realising their own expectations.
The Trust is very fortunate to have excellent Education, Training & Development (ET&D) facilities on site as well as educational relationships with a range of Colleges and Higher Education Institutes.
Induction
To welcome staff, we ensure that everyone receives a comprehensive induction programme to the Trust when they join us.
Learning resources and staff information
We try to keep staff in touch with the latest news and information through our Intranet, clinical skills and resource centres, a monthly Team Brief and a range of newsletters. These include the regular staff magazine, Heartbeat, a quarterly publication about our latest patient-centred initiatives, Caring About Quality, and departmental news sheets.
The Trust Library supports health care professionals working within the South Devon health community. It is accessible to Trust staff and primary health care professionals within South Devon.
Members of the public and researchers may use the library on a one off basis by prior appointment.
Return to practice
The Return to Practice course runs here at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, for qualified staff who are wishing to return to the workplace. The course runs over a period of 20 weeks and clinical placements can be flexibly arranged in your chosen specialty to suit your needs.
Preceptorship and internship
The Trust is reviewing the above programmes to support not only newly qualified staff but also Return to Practice students.
Clinical skills stations
We have developed a number of clinical skills stations across our hospital sites.
Each clinical skills station is equipped with opportunities for individual practitioners to enhance and review their skills relevant to clinical needs and practice various skills in a safe environment. Each station is also a focal point for a range of information and research material on the specific clinical skills being undertaken at the time so you can update relevant knowledge at the same time as improving individual techniques.
Self-learning skills packages include:
- IV Drug Administration
- IV Cannulation
- Venepuncture
- Male Catheterisation
- Suturing
Clinical supervision
Clinical Supervision is “regular, protected time for facilitated in-depth reflection on clinical practice. It aims to enable the supervisee to achieve, sustain and creatively develop a high quality of practice through the means of focused support and development… whether they remain in clinical practice or move into management, research or education” Bond & Holland (1998:12).
Within Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust we are aiming to ensure that every Registered Practitioner has access to clinical supervision. We expect practitioners to receive a minimum of four hours clinical supervision per annum, although clinical areas differ and you should be able to access as much clinical supervision as you feel is necessary.
Medical training
Information on how Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust welcomes and supports medical students and doctors in training can be found on our ‘Health professionals‘ page.