Royal Derby Hospital: ‘K2 PTP provides good quality teaching at their fingertips’

Back in December, Royal Derby Hospital (UHDB) launched K2’s Perinatal Training Programme (PTP) – our interactive e-learning tool covering a comprehensive array of topics in Fetal Monitoring and Maternity Crisis Management, including Competency Assessments covering all modules.

Prior to launching, all training at the hospital was delivered face-to-face and while this will still be the case, PTP will be used to supplement and support the training, explains Sarah Smith, UHDB’s Senior Clinical Educator and Fetal Monitoring Lead.

“The K2 system has complemented this teaching, as it allows staff to work through the information, make sense of it, and apply it to their practice at their own pace. They have the ability to dip in and out of the teaching modules and then assess their own understanding and revisit over and over again throughout the year. Annual updates, and even bi-annual updates (which is what we do face-to-face) is not enough for some staff. K2 provides good quality teaching at their fingertips.”

Sarah has high hopes for the ways in which K2 PTP will facilitate and improve training. Using the online tool, she intends to suggest pre-course reading such as Shoulder Dystocia which offers an interactive element and allows the participant to view the manoeuvres from different angles.

Proving Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle and Maternity Incentive Scheme is one area that K2 PTP may significantly relieve the pressure for Sarah’s department.

“We previously evidenced attendance of study days, the programme and content, including any assessments. Face-to-face assessments are resource heavy; they are also an assessment of the individual person’s understanding of the teaching. K2 provides this for us now and so we can concentrate on the human factors surrounding Fetal Monitoring, communication, barriers, teamwork, and WOCL, etc.”

Sarah’s team previously had to keep a separate database from which to create compliance reports. Now, thanks to the rolling pathways in K2 PTP, this will no longer be necessary.

“The rolling dates is an important feature of the system, it will enable me to provide the evidence easily and quickly once we have gotten through the first year.”

Staff at Royal Derby Hospital are already singing the praises of PTP, says Sarah, with many commenting that they like the remote learning, working through modules at their own pace, and having the option to return to areas they have struggled with. They also appreciate how interactive the modules are.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, PTP has also allowed for staff who are unable to attend face-to-face training to be assessed, as well as keep those who are shielding in touch and up to date.

“The K2 system will complement the training that we do at UHDB and provide staff with another avenue of training, one which is available at any time they need access to it,” Sarah concludes.