Life Long Learning and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) are the
processes by which professionals, such as nurses, develop and improve their
practice.
There are many ways to address CPD: formally, through attending courses,
study days and workshops; or informally, through private study and reflection.
Reading articles in professional journals is a good way of keeping up-to-date
with what is going on in the field of practice, but reflecting and identifying
what you have learned is not always easy.
These questions are designed to help you to identify what you have learned
from studying the article. They will also help you to clarify what you can
apply to practice, what you did not understand and what you need to explore
further.
1. What section of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act refers to a
general duty of care, which includes preventing work-related stress?
a) Section 1
b) Section 2
c) Section 3
d) Section 4
2. What long-term strategy has the HSC developed, which includes
work-related stress?
a) A First Class Service
b) Clinical Governance
c) Making a Difference
d) Securing Health Together
3. When was Tackling Work-Related Stress first published?
a) 2001
b) 1995
c) 2003
d) 1999
4. Who received the first improvement notice related to stress?
a) Bournemouth City Council
b) West Dorset Hospitals NHS Trust
c) Bournemouth Hospital
d) West Dorset County Council
5. Where would you find a website with a model policy for stress?
a) The Work Foundation
b) CBI
c) HSE
d) TUC
6. With regard to stress, how many steps are there to risk assessment?
a) 3
b) 4
c) 5
d) 6
7. Which one of the following is NOT one of the main causes of stress?
a) Communications
b) Shift work
c) Hot desking
d) Lack of welfare facilities
8. What is the estimated number of working days lost each year to
stress-related conditions?
a) 1.5 million
b) 1.25 million
c) 1 million
d) 5 million
9. What are OH professionals uniquely placed to do?
a) Listen, understand and report to management
b) Listen and tell employees to use their common sense
c) Listen, understand and make referrals to external support if necessary
d) Determine if the individual should be off sick
10. What can stress managers no longer do?
a) Adopt an ostrich-like approach
b) Bury their heads in the sand
c) Pay lip service to health and well-being of employees
d) All of the above
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Feedback
1) b – This is a good opportunity to refresh your memory
of the Health & Safety at Work Act. 2) d – Are you aware of all
these government documents and initiatives? If not, most of them can be
accessed and downloaded from the Department of Health or HSE website. Perhaps
it would be a good time to refresh you knowledge of these documents and to look
at the HSE’s consultation document ‘A strategy for Workplace Health &
Safety in Britain to 2010 and beyond’. 3) a 4) b – Look for articles on
this topic. It has been reported in detail in Personnel Today and discuss with
your colleagues how your organisation is dealing with the situation. 5) c
– www.hse.gov.uk/stress has a model policy. 6) c – The same as for every
other risk assessment. 7) d – Although welfare facilities are all part and
parcel of helping employees feel better about their working environment. 8)
a 9) c – Have you got a comprehensive list of local external support
agencies, including complementary therapies? Or is this an area that needs
improvement in your place of work? 10) d – Need I say more?
