By Julie Lennon
Practice nurse Julie Lennon gained competence and confidence from an e-learning Open University course on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and believes that OH nurses would also benefit from the format. Here, she reports on her training experience.
While balancing the demands of family and work commitments, I chose to make my life even more complicated and embarked on a level 6 distance e-learning module focusing on MSDs. Education for Health (an organisation for which I am a trainer) in collaboration with Arthritis Research UK, has developed a standalone e-learning musculoskeletal module accredited by the Open University, Assessing and managing patients with joint pain. 
The level 6 academic study offers an opportunity for clinicians to develop their knowledge and understanding of musculoskeletal conditions; critically analysing the impact of inflammatory, noninflammatory and work-related problems for a patient, their family and carers, work and society.
Offering a flexible method to study, the blended-learning approach comprises e-learning, taught study days and activities to support adult learning, enabling the student to participate at a time convenient to them. The standalone e-learning module offers units of learning that underpin key elements of musculoskeletal conditions, enabling OH nurses to apply the findings to their place of work, and manage and support workers with musculoskeletal conditions in the workplace.