Libraries/ Search Assistance    Databases    Evidence-based Practice/CPD

Journals    Books    Current awareness  

Access to physical library resources and services
Electronic resources are available to all SWASFT staff and students irrespective of location, and details of how to access are listed in the other sections on this page

See the SWASFT CPD site for details of online evidence search skills training.

COVID-19 update – library access
SWASFT staff are usually able to visit and join any NHS library in the SWASFT area to receive face-to-face training. At present a number of libraries across the area have moved to remote-only services or reduced staffing.
Should you require access to resource training during this challenging time please see our current online group training dates or email the SWASFT lead library library.mailbox@nhs.net (please include contact phone number) and an individual online session can be arranged.

Databases (GUIDES AND VIDEOS)

Search the NHS healthcare databases:

Databases include:

• AMED- covers topics for allied health professions including paramedics.
• British Nursing Index (BNI)- primarily of use for nurses but also includes allied health,
• CINAHL- international nursing & allied health incl. paramedics
• EMBASE- primarily European biomedicine- particularly good for pharmacology
• EMCARE-international nursing & allied health
• HMIC- health service management & organisation incl grey literature
• MEDLINE- most health topics including pre-hospital care 
• PsycINFO- psychology & psychiatry including psychological aspects of trauma/injury

Note- you will need an NHS Athens login.

Databases contain bibliographic records i.e. references. Whilst you won’t have fulltext access to all the articles, for some journals there will be a link to online access.
If an article you need is not available- please consider making an article request.

See the SWASFT CPD site for details of librarian-run evidence search skills training or contact Discovery Library if you require help with a specific literature search.

Evidence Based Practice and CPD

A range of evidence-based resources are available to help inform patient care including:

BMJ Best Practice (don’t use Internet Explorer, choose alternative browser)
Evidence-based research, guidelines and expert opinion offering step-by-step guidance on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and prevention.

****Note you will need a local NHS Athens account (register here).
On 1st access you’ll be asked to create personal account to download free App***

BNF and BNF for Children–should work automatically on NHS networked machine, if outside NHS network login with NHS Athens account.
Click here to find out about the free BNF/BNFC App.

ClinicalKey– clinical insight search tool which also gives access to over 1100 electronic books and 500 journals and other fulltext resources
Note you will need an NHS Athens account (register here).

Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS)– provided by NICE. Summaries of the current evidence base & practical guidance on best practice for >300 primary care presentations, regular updates to all topics and up to 10 new topics each year

Cochrane Library– collection of databases (details here) containing different types of high-quality, independent evidence such as Systematic Reviews, RCTs and Health Technology Assessments.

Elearning for Health (ELfH) -Health Education England’s suite of high quality content free of charge training (topics incl. Paramedic programme, COVID-19 programme including COVID-19 elearning resources for Paramedics) in partnership with the NHS and Professional Bodies.
Note you will need a local NHS Athens account (register here)

NICE Evidence– access to authoritative clinical & non-clinical evidence and best practice through a web-based portal. provided by NICE.

TRIP Database– clinical search tool designed to allow health professionals to rapidly identify the highest quality clinical evidence for clinical practice.

Journals 

Full A-Z list of all journals– you will need an NHS Athens account- click here to register.

Selected Prehospital and Emergency Medicine journals below

If we don’t hold your required article you can consider making an article request via the library.

Books (guide)

The electronic book stock available to SWASFT can be found by doing a search in the SWIMS catalogue.

and limiting your search to SWASFT holdings.

COVID-19 UPDATE
Please email library.mailbox@nhs.net if you have a query about accessing print book stock.

**LIST OF AVAILABLE EBOOKS BY SUBJECT AREA**

Current awareness

You may find the following useful for keeping up-to-date.

• Prehospital Emergency Services Current Awareness Update (locally edited SWASFT version with relevant fulltext links)
  Provides a digest of information supporting evidence based practice in pre-hospital, ambulance and emergency services incl. recent research, news and policy items, and relevant reports. Update is commissioned by the National Ambulance Research Steering Group.

• Current Awareness bulletins created by the Library & Knowledge Service for NHS Ambulance Services in England
  –Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response
  –Further Research Needed 
  -Telephone Support in Prehospital Care 

• Pinboards for latest prehospital and paramedicine research created by North West Ambulance Service Librarian, Matt Holland. Includes topics such as
  • Paramedic Practice,
  • Older People and Prehospital Care 
  • Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response
• Feeds for the major journals in prehospital and emergency care

If you have problems accessing any of the content listed on this page please contact library.mailbox@nhs.net marking FAO Laura.