Overview
Scotland’s remote and rural healthcare staff need the ability to manage patients experiencing Mental Health crisis
Care Setting
Education and Training
Care Group
All Care Groups
Evidence Base for Practice
Background
In 2003 the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative (RARARI) published ‘Recommendations for the safe management of acutely disturbed psychiatric patients in Scotland’s remote and rural areas’ also known as Bid 79(1). The report highlighted the issues that practitioners’ face in the safe management of mental health crisis when presenting in Scotland’s remote and rural areas.
Purpose
There would appear to be strong support amongst the remote and rural healthcare community for such training and for the training to be delivered locally, utilising the approach developed by ‘The British Association of Immediate Care Skills’ (BASICS). RRHEAL were tasked to research and develop an educational response for remote and rural practitioners that would give them the necessary skills to manage a Mental Health crisis in line with the recommendations of their local Psychiatric Emergency Plan.
Using blended learning techniques this course would encourage a contextual approach to user needs, specifically teaching generic mental health care skills to staff who are often working single handed and required to respond appropriately, locally and safely as they work towards achieving the National Mental Health crisis standards (6).
Aim of study
The aim of this study was to explore the possible educational responses that would be required to equip the remote and rural healthcare workforce with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them to effectively manage a mental health crisis
Practice Summary
In order to ensure practitioners have the necessary skills, the NHS Education for Scotland Remote and Rural Healthcare Educational Alliance (RRHEAL) were asked to develop a pre-hospital mental healthcare course . The British Association of Immediate Care Skills (BASICS) Scotland 2 provides education in emergency care to community practitioners. This is the favoured educational approach and this will be enhanced through use of emerging educational technology and outreach interventions.
Practice Detail
modified ‘Delphi’ approach was followed in order to seek a consensus for course curriculum.
A group of 14 Mental Healthcare experts contributed to a stakeholder review. Feedback informed the development of an online survey to identify priorities
The first round of the online survey involved the same expert group and the second round, was circulated to 300 remote and rural practitioners on the BASICS’s Scotland register. The online survey response was 27% and confirmed the priorities listed by the expert panel
Challenges
Using blended learning techniques, new communications technologies and outreach sessions this course will encourage a contextual approach to user needs. Specifically, the course will teach generic mental health care skills to staff who are often working single handed and required to respond appropriately, locally and safely as they work towards achieving the National Mental Health crisis standards. Work is ongoing to finalise mapping of survey results to pre existing educational materials.