Each year around 100,000 voluntary blood donations are collected and transfused to patients in Wales.  At the moment, only doctors are able to authorise transfusions, and so training other health professionals to authorise the procedure can help cut the time patients have to wait.  Additionally, many patients who need transfusions often know their nurse or pharmacist better than they know their doctor, and vice versa.

This course is the first of its kind in Wales.  Megan Rosser, Director of Continuing Professional Development in the College of Human and Health Sciences, explained:

“The course comprises two modules, one theoretical and one work-based, with successful students obtaining a graduate or post-graduate certificate.  Our first group of students consisted of 10 nurses and 2 pharmacists from areas such as paediatric intensive care, renal, haematology, and the teenage cancer unit. ”

“If our patients need blood, they can now get it straight away; they don’t have to wait for the ‘on-call’ doctor to come and write it up”.

Gail Mooney, director of postgraduate studies in the College of Human and Health Sciences, said:

“It has been exciting to work on the course and to extend people’s roles.  I have learnt a huge amount from the clinicians involved in developing and delivering the programme.”

(This article has been modified by MediWales.  For the original article, please click  here)