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Training the whole workforce

Saturday, May 18, 2024
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM
Grand Ballroom

Overview

Sarah Harnden - International Keynote Speaker


Speaker

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Sarah Harnden
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Training the whole workforce

Biography

Sarah has worked in endoscopy nursing for 35 years, having started as a staff nurse and then a charge nurse in a one-, then two-roomed endoscopy unit in Shropshire UK. She jointly ran two-day practical endoscopy courses for nurses and a university longer module. In the mid 1990’s Sarah completed the first UK upper GI nurse endoscopist course, followed quickly by accreditation in flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy and had a role as a nurse practitioner doing these procedures and running nurse led clinics in dyspepsia and IBD as well as a PEG service. In 2000 the opportunity arose to become the first UK nurse consultant in Gastroenterology at Wolverhampton, a larger hospital with an endoscopy training portfolio. Sarah developed her endoscopic skills and participated on the medical on call rota for GI bleeding performing haemostasis and variceal banding. She became one of the first UK clinical endoscopists to be accredited as a bowel cancer screening colonoscopist. She continued to also develop nurse lead clinics in IDA, IBD and luminal gastroenterology. Sarah became an accredited endoscopic trainer in upper and lower endoscopy and participated JAG (Joint Advisory Group on endoscopy training) approved courses throughout the UK. During this time, she also became an assessor for JAG visiting endoscopy units throughout England to validate standards of patient safety, care, and workforce development. From 2001-2005 Sarah was chair of the Nurse’s Group of the BSG (British Society of Gastroenterology). This led to many speaking opportunities around in Europe and the World. In 2013 she moved back to Shropshire and now heads up a team of 11 clinical endoscopists over 9 procedure rooms. Recently she has set up a trans nasal endoscopy service to increase capacity. Our team also run the capsule endoscopy and sponge capsule service, triage referrals, insert PEGs. Sarah is currently the lead for medical and clinical endoscopy training and deliver a portfolio of courses including train the trainer courses. She has close links to the regional Endoscopy Academy and acts as faculty for many courses including ENTS (Endoscopic Non-Technical skills).
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