Immunisation for New Practice Nurses

This course covers the following areas based on the document ‘National Minimum Standards and Core Curriculum for Immunisation Training for Registered healthcare Practitioners’ (Public Health England 2018) the Covid 19 Vaccination Programme Slide Set (UK Health Security Agency, last updated December 2021) and the RCN Travel Competency document ‘Travel health nursing: career and competence development’ (RCN 2012).

Course Description

The immune system
Terminology and how vaccines work

Vaccine policy
Terminology in relation to the immune system and immunisation
Vaccine preventable diseases in relation to UK immunisation schedules
How UK policy is produced and implemented
Importance of taking a full immunisation history

Legal Issues
How to obtain consent for immunisations
Prescribing Vaccines (PGDs)
Documentation

Administration of the vaccines
Routes of administration including Intramuscular and Nasal

Finding and using Resources
• The Green Book and ‘Vaccine Update’
• Child Immunisation Schedules
• Vaccine information for patients and parents

Vaccine storage and delivery
Understanding how to store vaccines safely to prevention of wastage
Identify strategies to improve uptake of immunisations in the UK

An Introduction to Travel Health provision in general Practice
How to take a travel health risk assessment
Demonstrate knowledge of NHS travel vaccines
Identify services for patients requiring non-NHS travel advice

Aims of the course:

• To explain how the immune system functions and how different types of vaccines work
• To provide information regarding the benefits and risks of available vaccines
• Ensure understanding of current UK policy and how it changes including the UK routine schedule, Occupational Health and Travel vaccines
• To Identify vaccines for people with special circumstances
• Ensure participants are competent to safely administer vaccines which have been correctly stored and handled
• How to access guidelines and evidence and how to keep up-to-date
• Legal advice regarding PGDs and indemnity

 

Outcomes:

1. Understand and be able to explain to patients how vaccines work
2. Recognising contraindications and giving appropriate advice to these patients
3. Advising Patients of vaccine side effects and necessary action
4. Ability to decide on appropriate vaccines for patient group
5. Understanding of UK law relating to competence and consent, safeguarding and data protection
6. Confidence in discussing risks and benefits of vaccines
7. Competence in safely administering vaccines by correct route
8. Storing vaccines correctly and actions to take if safety of vaccines is compromised
9. Keeping correct and full records relating to vaccinations
10. Ability to conduct and act on a basic travel risk assessment
11. Complete competence assessment sheets for signing off on vaccines and travel competencies if required