RCN Learning Zone
The RCN Learning Zone is a web-based resource that supports the professional development of RCN members and the work of RCN Activists.
Learning on the perioperative fasting guideline
The Learning Zone contains interactive learning using:
- the patient stories from Claire and Kenneth
- a child-related case study
- a perioperative fasting quiz.
You can find these learning resources in the clinical updates area of the Learning Zone, which is in the clinical skills section.
Go to the Learning Zone (you will need your RCN membership number).
Related learning areas
The learning areas within the Learning Zone are in bite-sized chunks which can be completed within 30 minutes. The learning is structured to allow you to dip in and out as and when you need it . As you work through each area, you're encouraged to add material to your professional portfolio on how you are updating your knowledge and skills.
These are descriptions of some of the learning areas currently available:
Clinical audit
If you've ever wondered whether what you're doing in clinical practice is effective or whether there's a better way to go about something, then this area of learning is the place for you. It provides a general introduction to clinical audit and will help you to understand what clinical audit is, why it is important, and how to conduct a clinical audit project in your workplace.
Clinical guideline development
This area has been developed to help you:
- understand clinical guidelines
- find a clinical guideline
- appraise and adapt a clinical guideline for use in your workplace
- implement a clinical guideline
- take appropriate action when you cannot find a clinical guideline.
You can access the content in a range of different ways depending on your particular learning needs. You might want to use a mixture of relevant information and published guidelines, personal stories and quick quizzes and self-assessments.
Information literacy
Information literacy is a set of related skills. It covers:
- how you define your particular real-world problem
- how you identify the information you need to solve it
- how you plan your search and locate sources
- how you review the results of your search, communicate your findings and decide whether to make changes to your practice.
Patient safety
Patient safety is important to nursing as a whole, but have you ever wondered what we can each do, as individuals, to prevent adverse incidents or errors? In this day and age, such occurrences are known as 'patient safety incidents'. This term is used to move the emphasis away from blaming individuals responsible for the care provided, and toward the well-being of the patient/client.
This learning area will help you to understand the scale and gravity of patient safety incidents in healthcare settings, and to recognise how human factors, technical processes and organisational systems can all play a part in causing incidents. It also provides ways of improving patient safety.
For more information, visit the Learning Zone.