Moving and handling education: educating the experienced practitioner

This article focuses on an occupational therapist’s experience of teaching moving and handling skills as part of his role of ‘key trainer’ in a primary care NHS trust. Time constraints on the staff involved require effective teaching and communication methods to be used in order to ensure the best possible outcomes in terms of patient and staff safety. Potential obstacles to effective moving and handling education are investigated and existing learning techniques used are reflected upon. Educational theory is then evaluated and integrated into future teaching sessions, resulting in a proposed framework for moving and handling education. The term ‘moving and handling educator’ (as opposed to trainer) is therefore suggested as more accurately reflecting the nature of this role. This article may therefore be of particular value to moving and handling ‘key trainers’ working within primary and intermediate care, with the aim of increasing the ability of all groups of clinicians to effectively use these manual handling skills in practice.