Education and Training

National Blood Sector Education and Training Strategy 2013-2016

The National Blood Sector Education and Training Strategy 2013‑2016 outlines a plan to work with current education and training providers to address the growing demand for high quality, well-tailored education, training and health promotion materials to support the implementation of evidence-based practice and attainment of health service accreditation under the new  National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHS).

The approach focuses on:

  • identifying and engaging with key education and training providers
  • encouraging communication between education and training providers to:
    • improve coordination of education and training programs;
    • identify education and training gaps; and
    • reduce unnecessary duplication
  • establishing a governance structure to ensure the education and training funded by all Australian governments under the national blood arrangements, is of a high quality and represents value for money
  • encouraging the inclusion of blood-related education and training in undergraduate programs, postgraduate programs and health care professionals’ continuous professional development
  • promoting educational offerings to healthcare professionals, health care consumers and organisations.

The NBA will engage with key stakeholders in the sector and enter into collaborations, joint arrangements and outsourcing to meet the key strategies identified for 2013-16.

National Blood Sector Education and Training Strategy 2013-2016 (pdf) (559.39 KB)
National Blood Sector Education and Training Strategy 2013-2016 (docx) (1.71 MB)

Governance Arrangements

The National Education and Training (NEAT) Committee has been established to support the implementation of the National Blood Sector Education and Training Strategy 2013-16.  Its key functions are to:

  • provide advice and oversight of a strategic program of activities to support education and training relating to the implementation of the NSQHS standards and Health Ministers’ stewardship expectations and the implementation of nationally funded guidelines
  • support improved communication and collaboration between education providers
  • promote quality and reduce unnecessary duplication in education and information offered by organisations funded by all governments under the national blood arrangements
  • influence the direction and uptake of education and training programs
  • share information with other NBA committees
  • support the promotion of programs
  • investigate other methods of delivery.

The Web Education and Information Advisory Group established to improve communication, planning and coordination of web based education and information. Its key functions are to:

  • develop and implement a plan to identify and reduce unnecessary duplication in web based education and information activities to underpin effective and efficient expenditure funded under the national blood arrangements
  • support the NEAT and NBA in commissioning and reviewing the results of consultancies examining web based education and information
  • provide advice to NEAT on priority areas for web based content development
  • assess and provide recommendations to NEAT on new proposals for web based education and information from organisations funded under the national blood arrangements
  • respond to requests for advice on strategic matters from government s or organisations represented on WEIAG (e.g. evaluation plans, strategic directions for web based content development, identification of subject matter experts).

The governance structure below has been devised to support these functions.

Governance structure includes JBC, NBA, SA Health & Ageing, Blood Service, National Education & Training Committee, Web Education & Information Advisory Group, other NBA committees, other advisory groups, BloodSafe eLearning

National Education and Training Committee Terms of Reference (pdf) (223.82 KB)
National Education and Training Committee Terms of Reference (docx) (322.7 KB)

Web Education and Information Advisory Group Terms of Reference (pdf) (208.1 KB)
Web Education and Information Advisory Group Terms of Reference (docx) (280.22 KB)

BloodSafe eLearning Australia

decorative only

BloodSafe eLearning Australia offers a range of courses, which have been developed by a multidisciplinary group of expert clinicians. The online courses are designed to advance the practice of health care professionals and improve patient outcomes.

The courses include:

  • Clinical Transfusion Practice
  • Collecting Blood Specimens
  • Transporting Blood
  • Iron Deficiency Anaemia        
  • Critical Bleeding (based on the Patient Blood Management Guidelines: Module 1 Critical Bleeding/Massive Transfusion)
  • Patient Blood Management
  • Perioperative (based on the Patient Blood Management Guidelines: Module 2 Perioperative)
  • Medical and five specialty courses: cancer, cardiac, chronic kidney disease, chronic transfusion and gastrointestinal (based on the Patient Blood Management Guidelines: Module 3 Medical)
  • Obstetrics and Maternity: courses on Obstetric Haematology, Obstetric Blood Management and Postpartum Haemorrhage (based on the Patient Blood Management Guidelines: Module 5 Obstetrics and Maternity)
  • Neonates and Paediatrics: courses on PBM for Neonates and Paediatrics, Neonatal Preterm, Fetal Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia, Paediatric Haematology/Oncology, Paediatric Surgical, Paediatric Major Haemorrhage, Paediatric Iron Deficiency Anaemia (based on the Patient Blood Management Guidelines: Module 6 Neonatal and Paediatrics)
  • Viscoelastic Haemostatic Testing

BloodSafe eLearning Australia courses are funded by all Australian governments. The courses are free and support attainment of accreditation under the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standard 7 for Blood and Blood Products.

The training is delivered in a variety of formats including video, audio, printable downloads and interactive media tasks and are suitable for a range of professionals including:

  • nurses and midwives
  • doctors
  • laboratory scientists and technicians
  • couriers, porters and assistants

To date the feedback on this program has been very positive with use by a range of health professionals across Australia and internationally. As of June 2017 over 425,000 users have registered and over 1,000 Australian hospitals have implemented the Clinical Transfusion Practice course.

Further information on the program can be found at www.bloodsafelearning.org.au.

Post Graduate Certificate in Transfusion Practice

The Graduate Certificate in Transfusion Practice is an online course administered by The University of Melbourne School of Nursing and coordinated by Melbourne Consulting and Custom Programs. The course is delivered under the auspice of the Blood Matters Program, Victoria, a collaboration between the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and The Department of Health.

For information about this course visit www.health.vic.gov.au/bloodmatters/tools/cert.htm.