This course is a practical survival guide for doctors and nurses starting on a UK hospital ward. It explains how ward rounds, jobs lists, bleeps and handovers work, and teaches you how to prioritise tasks safely, with worked examples of a real day and the mistakes new starters most often make.
What you will learn
- Describe the daily structure of a typical NHS ward, including handover, the ward round, board rounds and the afternoon review.
- Take part in a ward round effectively, recording a clear entry and an accurate jobs list.
- Prioritise a list of tasks and bleeps using a clinical framework, and know when to escalate.
- Respond to a bleep or call professionally and gather the information needed to decide on urgency.
- Give and receive a safe handover and recognise the common pitfalls of the first week.
Course content
- The shape of a ward day (2 min)
- The ward round (3 min)
- The jobs list (2 min)
- Bleeps, calls and prioritising (3 min)
- Handover and nights (2 min)
- Everyday ward tasks done safely (3 min)
- Case study and common pitfalls (3 min)
- Knowledge check (10 questions, 10 min)
- Guided reflection (15 min)
Standards and guidance covered
- GMC: Good Medical Practice (2024)
- UK Foundation Programme Curriculum (2021)
- NMC: The Code (2015, updated 2018) and Future nurse: standards of proficiency for registered nurses
- Royal College of Physicians: National Early Warning Score (NEWS) 2
- Professional Record Standards Body and Royal College of Physicians standards for clinical record keeping
Certificate
Courses are free to study. When you pass the knowledge check (80%) and complete your reflection, you can buy a verified certificate showing your CPD time, with a unique ID and QR code that anyone can check on our verification page.
Study free at your own pace on any device.
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Practitioner Insight is an independent education provider. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the GMC, MPTS, NMC, HCPC, GPhC or any NHS organisation, and this information is not legal advice. If you have been referred to a regulator, speak to your defence organisation, trade union or legal representative.