How support staff can be helped to challenge unacceptable practice

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Nursing education and practice
• Patient safety initiatives

Background:

• Healthcare assistants (HCAs) are vital in patient care delivery.
• HCAs often witness but hesitate to challenge poor practice due to confidence issues.
• Empowering HCAs can enhance the quality and safety of patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a training course designed to boost HCA confidence in addressing practice concerns.
• To explore the effects of this empowerment training on senior nursing staff and overall care quality.

Main Methods:

• A two-day training program focused on empowering HCAs to question colleagues' practice.
• Assessment of the training's success in building HCA confidence and willingness to speak up.
• Analysis of the implications for senior nurses and the broader healthcare team.

Main Results:

• The training course successfully enhanced HCAs' confidence in challenging poor practice.
• Participants reported increased willingness to address concerns with colleagues.
• The study identified positive implications for senior nurses in supporting and managing empowered HCAs.

Conclusions:

• Empowerment training is effective in equipping HCAs to contribute to practice improvement.
• Investing in HCA confidence can lead to better patient safety and a more robust healthcare team.
• Senior nurses play a crucial role in fostering an environment where HCAs feel supported to voice concerns.