Knowledge and Skills Framework - Essay Example

Knowledge and Skills Framework Contents Sr. # Topic Pg Introduction 2 2. Core Dimensions 3 2 Communication 3 2.2. Equality Diversity and Rights 5 3. Influence on Current Practice 6 4. Conclusion 7 References 8 1. Introduction The Knowledge and Skills framework was developed by the Department of Health in 2004 as a part of Agenda for Change initiative on pay and conditions. It contains detailed description of the knowledge and skills, which the NHS staff are required to possess. This framework is applicable throughout the UK and the NHS staff, is reviewed against the guidelines mentioned in the framework. It is executed through an obligatory system of review, planning, development and evaluation and is essentially designed to co-ordinate the organizational and individual development needs of the NHS (Golding & Gray, 2006). The NHS KSF (Knowledge and Skills Framework) comprises of thirty dimensions in all of which six of them are core to every job. These core dimensions describe the key functions that the NHS staff must follow in order to optimize the level and quality of service provided to the public at large. These include: Communication; Personal & People Development; Health Safety and Security; Service Improvement; Quality; and Equality and Diversity (DoH, 2004). Communication will help in service givers in caring for dying / sick people in a better manner. Personal & People development aims at ascertaining the learning needs of the staff and to ensure that they are well equipped to train their junior team members such as care assistants or nursing students. The health, safety and security dimension focuses on the belief that every individual within the NHS including the staff, patients or visitors are entitled to be safe and well cared for. Service improvement is an evolving area in the field of palliative care provision and it helps in ensuring that the staff is well equipped with current knowledge which will in turn prove to be extremely crucial and helpful in their respective fields of practice. Quality is one of the most significant aspects of health care. This dimension is included by the NHS to ensure good quality of service provision by individual practitioners. The health care service is often plagued with doubts, complaints and criticisms regarding the lack of equality in service provision. This core dimension i.e. Equality and Diversity, hence aims to ensure that no differentiation whatsoever is made between individuals seeking health care service and that all patients regardless of their ethnic or other differences shall be treated with equality at all times (Stevens, 2009). 2. Core Dimensions “Effective communication is fundamental to effective health care” (Llyod, Hancock & Campbell, 2007) 2.1. Communication Communication is one of most important factors, particularly in the field of health care. It is the means by which patients and care givers exchange valuable information which is critical for deciphering the issues and concerns of the patients and suggesting them proper and effective remedies or cure by the care givers. However despite the significance of communication, it is highly complicated in nature and hence could lead to various problems, since human communication is not only limited to verbal communication alone. It includes non verbal communication such as sign language, hand or facial gestures such as waving or smiling or shrugging etc., and if interpreted wrongly by the receiver, it could give rise to various problems (Berry, 2007). Communication is often cited as one of the key reasons of complaints received in the field of health care. According to a survey conducted by the Information Service Division most of the complaints received in health care were regarding staff attitudes / behaviour (14.5 per cent) and verbal and oral communication (14.5 per cent). Such complaints if received on a frequent basis may affect the quality of health care services and ultimately the patients health (Ingram, Lavery, 2009). Today with the evolution of technology a range of communication strategies, are now available; which can act as an effective link between information and health and in the process improve the quality of personal and public health. Various studies conducted in Britain, have documented the growing popularity and use of dedicated telephone support systems which are known to have helped those patients who are isolated at their homes. Such services have ensured timely provision of health care services and made health care accessible to them at their convenience. Helpline services such as NHS direct and CareDirect enables the user to engage in a synchronous telephone conversation with health care professionals and share their grievances (Gunter, 2005). 2.2. Equality, Diversity and Rights “In a world riven by inequity, medicine could be viewed as social justice work” (Farmer, 2004) Medicine and health care, according to Farmer (2004) is perhaps the only field which provides and has the potential to provide meaningful and dignified service to the poor and the oppressed- a feat which no other profession can boast of. The DoH recognizes such a need – that of providing health care services to individuals equally, regardless of their ethnic, religious, or socio-economic differences. The NHS KSF guidelines regarding the Equality and diversity dimension require the staff to treat everyone equally, support, promote and value diversity at all times and develop a culture which promotes equality. This dimension entails responsibility on everyone within the NHS including patients, carers, work colleagues, employees or the public at large to act equally with everyone involved, and value and respect diversity and uphold the rights granted by laws and regulations of the country to all individuals to be treated equally at all times (DoH, 2004). The Anti-discriminatory Practice (ADP) plays an important role in the delivery of good quality social care. It requires the carers to be both proactive as well as reactive. The same set of skills have been recognized and reflected in the equality legislation. Laws ensuring prevention of discrimination such as the Human Rights Act, 1990; or the Race Relations Act 1976/ 2000 or the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 serve as an example whereby the government at various levels have both recognized as well as acknowledged the importance of equality in health care as a means to improve the quality of care provided to the public in general (Moonie, Bates and Spenser-Perkins, 2004). 3. Influence on Current Practice As a nurse, the two core dimensions discussed above play a significant part and hold a crucial place in terms of both - relevance to practice as well as impact on quality of service provided. Communication as discussed in the previous section, plays a crucial role in health care. As a nurse, we (the nurses) are often obliged to communicate with the patients on a regular basis. This includes both verbal as well as non-verbal communication. Although verbal communication is invariably considered as one of the most effective means of communication, it often turns out to be the most difficult one, leading to various misunderstandings and miscommunication of information, mostly on account of hand gestures or facial expressions followed by the verbal communication which tends to give out wrong signals thus leading to miscommunication of information. For instance, a simple greeting such as Good Morning or Good Evening, or an inquiry into a person’s health such as How are you feeling today? could lead to misunderstanding if followed by a frown. Thus if words are not matched with appropriate action it inevitably leads to misunderstandings. Similarly in case of non-verbal communication, which includes touch, posture, body movement, facial expressions, hand movements etc., could also lead to miscommunication. I have often found myself in situations where a simple non-verbal gesture such as touch, in an attempt to comfort the patient and make them feel secure and cared for, was misinterpreted as intimidating. Thus, it is important to consider the non verbal cues of the patient or receiver of information, prior to reciprocating or replying through non-verbal communication. Care must be taken to ensure that the patient’s personal or intimate zone are not crossed. Furthermore, it is also observed during practice, that a patient sometimes complains of feeling cold or is shivering and the natural response is to cover them up with something warm or measure their temperature. Such a seemingly harmless gesture may also lead to miscommunication where the patient might end up feeling highly vulnerable and at the “mercy’ of the care giver. In order to avoid such miscommunication, it is obligatory for the nurses to ask for permission first. Another critical issue is that of communicating with non-natives or people belonging to ethnically diverse communities. Sometimes it becomes difficult to understand them due to their peculiar accents, and any sudden reaction may lead them to feel discriminated. 4. Conclusion The NHS KSF provides the public at large with an opportunity to avail good quality service and to be treated with equality, and at the same time, entrusts the care givers and the staff in general within the NHS, with additional responsibility of catering to the needs and requirements of the patients in an appropriate and effective manner. The various laws and regulations developed and implemented at national as well as international level ensure strict adherence resulting in an overall improvement in the quality of care. The KSF thus, can be viewed as a significant step forward towards the goal of optimizing health care service provision. References Berry D (2007) Health Communication Theory and Practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press, Pp. 1 - 7 DoH (2010). The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF). London: Department of Health Publications Farmer, P., (2004). Pathologies of power: Health, human rights, and the new war on the poor, University of California Press, Pp. 158 Golding, L., Gray, I., (2006). Continuing professional development for clinical psychologists, Wiley-Blackwell Publication, Pp. 206 – 208 Gunter, B., (2005). Digital Health: Meeting patient and professional needs online, Routledge Publication, Pp. 23 - 27 Ingram, P., Lavery, I., (2009). Clinical Skills for Healthcare Assistants, Wiley-Blackwell Publication, Pp. 15 - 25 Llyod, H., Hancock, H., & Campbell, S., (2007). Principles of Care, Wiley-Blackwell Publication, Pp. 83 Moonie, N., Bates, A., Spenser-Perkins, D., (2004). Diversity and Rights in Care. Oxon: Harcourt Education Ltd, Pp. 175 - 180 Stevens, E., (2009). Palliative nursing, Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, Pp. 301 Read More