The ALERT™ course incorporates interactive seminars, practical demonstrations and role-play clinical scenarios during which the candidates are encouraged to reflect on their actions and to consider 'What would I do next?' An ALERT™ course manual, for pre-course reading, is provided to all attendees.
Originally developed in 1999 by Professor Gary Smith, and colleagues at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, ALERT™ is a multi-professional course to train staff in recognising patient deterioration and act appropriately in treating the acutely unwell. The course is usually delivered as a one-day interactive seminar built around practical patient-based scenarios. The day is supported by a comprehensive reference manual and slide presentation.ALERT™ uses a structured and prioritised system of patient assessment and management to enable a pre-emptive approach to critical illness. It instructs staff in the recognition of impending clinical deterioration, the management of disordered physiology and other aspects of the delivery of acute care.
ALERT™ has now run successfully since the beginning of 2000 and has been delivered in over 100 centres in the UK and overseas. The course is:
• a blended, flexible, learning programme
• a track record of delivery over the past 10 years
• multi-disciplinary
• recognised by several medical royal colleges
• supported by optional assessments and issuing of formal certificates
• simple to organise and deliver with no special equipment needed
It is expected that the introduction of the ALERT™ course will result in specific benefits to patients, their relatives and hospital staff, such as:
• improvements in the general ward care of patients
• a reduced number of cardiac arrest calls on general wards
• earlier, and more appropriate referrals to the intensive care unit
• fewer re-admissions to the intensive care unit
• fewer avoidable in-hospital deaths
• improved decision-making regarding the resuscitation status of patients
• improved multi-professional teamwork
• improved communication
• fewer complaints from patients or their relatives
Taken from alert-course.com 12-Nov-14
Cost: £85 (with a reduced rate of £40 for Addenbrooke's nursing staff)
Please phone the PGMC office to make payment: 01223 256229
Please note that your place on the course is not confirmed until payment is received.
For Addenbrooke's nurses: If your supervisor has confirmed your place on the course & subsequently you are unable to attend, your fee will still be charged to your department unless the place can be filled by a department colleague.
Please be advised that your course fee is refundable for up to 14 days following your application. Thereafter course fees are non-refundable