The Australian Red Cross Blood Service has a new education resource to teach the correct method for checking a blood component pack before transfusion.
Created by the National Medical Education Unit at the Blood Service, Pack Check is suitable for nurses and students, either to teach or reinforce good transfusion practice.
Correct patient identification remains one of the most prevalent – and preventable – hazards of transfusion. The 2011 UK Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) Report shows identification of the correct patient as a key issue in transfusion and reinforces its importance as a key clinical skill.
The package contains educator notes as well as learning scenarios and materials for educators to set their own exercises. It is easy to read and follow, with clearly marked instructions and guidelines for each activity.
Students are interactively involved in the learning scenarios. The activities emulate bedside practice, including reading the patient case study, checking the blood component pack and then answering questions to reinforce knowledge and the importance of correct identification and matching of the product and the patient.
The Pack Check is now available as a downloadable PDF.
It can be laminated and kept as a resource in medical learning environments so that it may be re-used by teachers and students.
