Skills workshops
Skills workshops for NHS staff
Our librarians run skills workshops for NHS staff on the wide range of medical, nursing and evidence-based information available online.
All teaching sessions in 2020 will take place online via Microsoft Teams.
To book please register with the skills and information hub KnowledgeShare
Once you are registered, select the Skills tab on the KnowledgeShare home page and then click on Forthcoming Skills Sessions.
Skills workshops
Accessing and reviewing evidence-based practice
Evidence-based practice is the core of professional healthcare practice. This workshop will discuss resources for evidence-based practice and, after considering hierarchies of evidence, will focus on filtered resources including the Cochrane Library, everyday apps, and clinical decision support tools including BMJ Best Practice. You will discover where to find and access evidence and consider how evidence can be used with patients.
This session will be delivered online via Microsoft Teams. Once you have booked through KnowledgeShare you will be sent a link to the Teams meeting by email.
By the end of the session participants will be able to:
- Understand where and how to look for information
- Understand the hierarchies of evidence
- Understand the difference between filtered and unfiltered resources
- Understand and use point of care tools including BMJ Best Practice
- Access evidence on different devices
- Consider how to use evidence with patients
This session will allow you to meet the following professional standards. Contact us for more information.
- GMC Professional Capabilities Framework – Domain 3, 8, 9;
- NMC Code – Sections 6.1, 6.2, 9.4;
- GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals – Standard 4;
- HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics - Sections 3.3, 3.4, 3.5;
- IHM Code of Practice - Professionalism, Openness, Responsibility;
- Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England - Sections 3.6, 4.3, 6.3, 6.4
Date and time | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Thursday 28 January 2021 | 15.00 - 16.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Friday 29 January 2021 | 12.00 - 13.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Thursday 4 February 2021 | 12.00 - 13.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Friday 5 February 2021 |
10.00 - 11.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Contact your NHS librarian for details |
Getting the best results: improving your database searching
Finding the strongest evidence requires searching beyond Google and PubMed and using medical databases such as Medline and Embase. This session introduces participants to principles of database searching and introduces some advanced techniques, focusing specifically on the Health Database Advanced Search (HDAS) platform.
This session will be delivered online via Microsoft Teams. Once you have booked through KnowledgeShare you will be sent a link to the Teams meeting by email.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Understand where to search for academic literature and evidence on health topics
- Develop a research question into a structured search strategy
- Carry out a search for literature on a specific topic using HDAS
This session will allow you to meet the following professional standards. Contact us for more information.
- HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics - Sections 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4, 10.1;
- GMC Professional Capabilities Framework - Domain 3, 6, 9;
- NMC Code - Sections 6.1, 6.2, 8.6, 9.4, 22.3;
- GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals - Sections 1, 4, 5;
- IHM Code of Practice - Responsibility, Professionalism;
- Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England - Sections 3.6, 6.4, 6.6
Date | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Monday 1 February 2021 | 12.00 - 13.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Wednesday 3 February 2021 | 15.00 - 16.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Tuesday 9 February 2021 | 12.00 - 13.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Thursday 11 February 2021 | 15.00 - 16.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Contact your NHS librarian for details |
How to read a research article: an introduction to critical appraisal
Critical appraisal and evidence-based medicine can seem daunting, but with practice and confidence anyone can pick up the necessary skills to improve their engagement with, and understanding of, the literature. Working on these skills allows us to better approach clinical evidence and research, reading journal articles with a critical eye and an idea of if and how we might transform evidence into practice.
This session is aimed at those with no prior experience of critical appraisal but would be a good refresher for anyone who wants more practice. This session will focus on providing an overview of the critical appraisal process as applied to both quantitative research (in particular randomised controlled trials) and qualitative research, how it is undertaken, and why it is important.
By the end of the session participants will be able to:
- Understand what critical appraisal is and why it is useful
- Distinguish between different research methods and their applicability
- Have an insight into the process of critical appraisal as recommended by CASP for different research methods
- Understand and begin interpreting commonly used statistics and theoretical frameworks
- Prepare for undertaking critical appraisal of an article
This session will allow you to meet the following professional standards. Contact us for more information.
- HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics - Sections 2.5, 3.3
- GMC Professional Capabilities Framework - Domain 2, 3, 6, 9;
- NMC Code - Sections 6.1, 6.2, 9.4, 19.2, 22.3
- GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals - Sections 4, 5, 8, 9;
- IHM Code of Practice - Openness, Professionalism;
- Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England - Sections 2.4, 3.6, 6.4, 6.6
Date | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Wednesday 10 February 2021 | 15.00 - 16.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Thursday 11 February 2021 | 12.00 - 13.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Tuesday 16 February 2021 | 15.00 - 16.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Tuesday 23 February 2021 | 12.00 - 13.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Contact your NHS librarian for details |
How to read a research article: critical appraisal of a randomised controlled trial
Critical appraisal and evidence-based medicine can seem daunting, but with practice and confidence anyone can pick up the necessary skills to improve their engagement with, and understanding of, the literature. Working on these skills allows us to better approach clinical evidence and research, reading journal articles with a critical eye and an idea of if and how we might transform evidence into practice.
This session is aimed at those with no prior experience of critical appraisal but would be a good refresher for anyone who wants more practice. This session will focus on the practical aspect of critically appraising a randomised controlled trial and offers the chance for experiencing critical appraisal and discussion in a group environment online.
This session is intended for those who have attended 'How to read a research article: an introduction to critical appraisal', which introduces the concept, theory and tools required for critical appraisal, so it is highly recommended that participants also book a place on that session.
By the end of the session participants will be able to:
- Understand critical appraisal in a practical context
- Have an insight into the process of critical appraisal as recommended by CASP for randomised controlled trials
- Understand and begin interpreting commonly used statistics
- Critically appraise an article and consider its value to clinical practice
- Engage in group discussion of an article during and following critical appraisal
This session will allow you to meet the following professional standards. Contact us for more infomation.
- HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics - Sections 2.5, 3.3;
- GMC Professional Capabilities Framework - Domain 2, 3, 6, 9;
- NMC Code - Sections 6.1, 6.2, 9.4, 19.2, 22.3;
- GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals - Sections 4, 5, 8, 9;
- IHM Code of Practice - Openness, Professionalism;
- Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England - Sections 2.4, 3.6, 6.4, 6.6
Date | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Wednesday 17 February 2021 | 12.00 - 13.00 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Thursday 25 February 2021 | 15.00 - 16.00 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Contact your NHS librarian for details |
How to read a research article: critical appraisal of a qualitative article
Critical appraisal and evidence-based medicine can seem daunting, but with practice and confidence anyone can pick up the necessary skills to improve their engagement with, and understanding of, the literature. Working on these skills allows us to better approach clinical evidence and research, reading journal articles with a critical eye and an idea of if and how we might transform evidence into practice.
This session is aimed at those with no prior experience of critical appraisal but would be a good refresher for anyone who wants more practice. This session will focus on the practical aspect of critically appraising a qualitative article and offers the chance for experiencing critical appraisal and discussion in a group environment online.
This session is intended for those who have attended 'How to read a research article: an introduction to critical appraisal', which introduces the concept, theory and tools required for critical appraisal, so it is highly recommended that participants also book a place on that session.
By the end of the session participants will be able to:
- Understand critical appraisal in a practical context
- Have an insight into the process of critical appraisal as recommended by CASP for qualitative research
- Understand and evaluate the use of different theoretical frameworks and methods of qualitative analysis
- Critically appraise an article and consider its value to clinical practice
- Engage in group discussion of an article during and following critical appraisal
This session will allow you to meet the following professional standards. Contact us for more information.
- HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics - Sections 2.5, 3.3;
- GMC Professional Capabilities Framework - Domain 2, 3, 6, 9;
- NMC Code - Sections 6.1, 6.2, 9.4, 19.2, 22.3;
- GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals - Sections 4, 5, 8, 9;
- IHM Code of Practice - Openness, Professionalism;
- Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England - Sections 2.4, 3.6, 6.4, 6.6
Date | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Thursday 18 February 2021 | 15.00 - 16.00 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Wednesday 24 February 2021 | 12.00 - 13.00 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Contact your NHS librarian for details |
Creating great poster presentations – bite-sized
A good academic poster at a conference enables you to both network and communicate clearly the work that you've been doing. This bite-sized session will help you in designing and producing a great conference poster to make you and your work a talking point.
By the end of the session, participants will learn:
- What makes a good poster
- How to summarise your text effectively
- How to plan and design your poster for maximum interaction
This session will allow you to meet the following professional standards. Contact us for more information.
- HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics – Sections 2.5, 3.3, 5.1, 5.2;
- GMC Professional Capabilities Framework – Domain 2, 3, 5, 6, 9;
- NMC Code – Sections 5.2, 5.3, 6.2, 9.4, 10.6, 21.4;
- GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals – Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9;
- IHM Code of Practice - Professionalism, Integrity;
- Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England – Sections 3.6, 5.2, 6.2, 6.6
Date | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Tuesday 2 March 2021 | 12.00 - 12.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Friday 12 March 2021 | 15.30 - 16.00 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Contact your NHS librarian for details |
Using Twitter professionally - bite-sized
Twitter is a resource that we may all know of, but may not be especially familiar with. But, it can be a valuable tool in the sharing of information between professionals. This session will cover the use of Twitter, and how it can be used in your work, as well as some of the ethical issues surrounding its use.
This session will allow you to meet the following professional standards. Contact us for more information.
- HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics – Sections 1.7, 2.7, 3.3, 3.4, 5.1, 9.2, 9.3;
- GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals – Sections 2, 4, 6, 7;
- NMC Code – Sections 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 20.6, 20.8, 20.10;
- GMC Professional Capabilities Framework – Domain 1, 3, 8, 9;
- IHM Code of Practice - Honesty, Professionalism, Responsibility;
- Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England – Sections 2.6, 4.1, 5.1, 6.6
Date | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Friday 5 March 2021 | 10.30 - 11.00 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Wednesday 10 March 2021 | 12.30 - 13.00 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Contact your NHS librarian for details |
Literature reviews: presenting your evidence
Whether you are undertaking a literature review for work or academic reasons, this skills session will help you to organise and structure your strategy to find the literature, present your evidence and communicate your methodology effectively.
By the end of the session participants will be able to:
- Recognise the differences and similarities between literature reviews, and systematic reviews
- Understand the importance of a focused, answerable research question
- Develop a research question into a structured and systematic search strategy to find appropriate literature
- Record and document search strategies
- Effectively communicate search methods
- Recognise how the Library can support those undertaking literature reviews for work and study
This session will allow you to meet the following professional standards. Contact us for more information.
- HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics – Sections 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4,9.1, 9.2, 10.1;
- GMC Professional Capabilities Framework – Domain 2, 3, 6, 9;
- NMC Code – Sections 6.1, 6.2, 8.6, 9.4, 10.3, 20.2, 20.8, 21.4, 22.3;
- GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals – Sections 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9;
- IHM Code of Practice - Professionalism, Integrity;
- Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England – Sections 1.2, 3.6, 6.2, 6.4, 6.6
Date | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Friday 19 March 2021 | 15.00 - 16.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Wednesday 24 March 2021 | 12.00 - 13.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Contact your NHS librarian for details |
Managing your references accurately
Whether you’re writing academic assignments, doing research or keeping up with the evidence, managing your references well can save you time. Reference management software allows you to organise your reading materials and cite what you’ve read easily and accurately. In this session we cover the reasons you may wish to use reference management applications, provide examples of these, and demonstrate the main functions on freely available software (Mendeley or Zotero).
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
-
Understand how reference management tools help to reference and avoid plagiarism
- Choose an appropriate reference management tool for their own needs
- Use a reference management tool to save and organise references
This session will allow you to meet the following professional standards. Contact us for more information.
- HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics – Sections 3.3, 3.4 9.1, 9.2;
- GMC Professional Capabilities Framework – Domain 2, 3, 5, 9;
- NMC Code – Sections 10.3, 20.2, 20.8, 21.4;
- GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals – Sections 6, 8, 9;
- IHM Code of Practice - Responsibility, Honesty, Professionalism, Integrity;
- Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England – Sections 1.2, 6.2, 6.6
Date | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Tuesday 23 March 2021 | 12.00 - 13.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Thursday 25 March 2021 | 15.00 - 16.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Contact your NHS librarian for details |
An introduction to health literacy
Ensuring that individuals and communities can access, understand, appraise and use information and services to make decisions about health is key to health literacy. Improving people’s health literacy will enhance their ability to self-manage their health. This session will introduce the concept of health literacy, show examples of both good and bad resources providing information to patients, and demonstrate ways to help improve how information is provided to patients to allow them better control over their own health care.
This session will allow you to meet the following professional standards. Contact us for more information.
- HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics – Sections 1.2, 1.3, 2.2, 2.3, 6.1;
- GMC Professional Capabilities Framework – Domain 1, 2, 4, 6, 8;
- NMC Code – Sections 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.3, 7.1, 7.4;
- GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals – Sections 1, 2, 3, 6;
- IHM Code of Practice - Respect, Openness;
- Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England – Sections 2.4, 3.6, 4.1, 4.3, 4.5
Date | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Thursday 26 November 2021 | 12.00 - 13.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Friday 26 March 2021 | 12.00 - 13.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Tuesday 30 March 2021 | 10.30 - 12.00 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Contact your NHS librarian for details |
Introduction to preparing for publication
This session will introduce you to the basics of preparing your piece of work for publication. It aims to provide a set of tools and principles with which to approach publishing your piece of work, as well as aiming to increase your awareness of the areas of academic writing you need to focus on and improve.
By the end of this session, participants will:
- Understand what 'writing for publication' means
- Have explored the places that writing can be published
- Think about what they could write, and why it could be published
This session will allow you to meet the following professional standards. Contact us for more information.
- HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics - Sections 2.5, 3.3, 5.1, 5.2;
- GMC Professional Capabilities Framework - Domain 2, 3, 5, 6, 9;
- NMC Code - Sections 4.2, 5.2, 9.2, 10.4, 10.6, 21.4;
- GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals - Sections 7, 9;
- IHM Code of Practice - Integrity;
- Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England - Sections 3.6, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 6.4
Date | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Tuesday 1 December 2020 | 16.00 - 17.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Friday 9 April 2021 | 10.00 - 11.30 | Online via Microsoft Teams |
Contact your NHS librarian for details |
Please contact your library if you have any questions or require further information about our workshops.
- Charing Cross Campus Library cxissuedesk@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7594 0755
- Chelsea and Westminster Campus Library librarycw@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3315 8107
- Hammersmith Campus Library hammersmithlibrary@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7594 9943
- St Mary's Fleming Library sm-lib@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7594 3692