Staff, students and trainees

Library resources for specific professions and specialisms

To help you navigate our extensive, carefully selected range of resources for work, studies, professional development and research we have created some specific ‘go to’ pages for you and your colleagues. Follow the links below to take you direct to library resources for…

Example (image) of our digital flyers

If you’re not in one of these professions, or simply want a quick search on a specific topic, go direct to the Knowledge and Library Hub for access to all our online ebooks, journals and other digital tools.

For the best experience, you need to use your NHS OpenAthens account. If you have forgotten your NHS OpenAthens login or need an account you can register now. Watch our video guide on how to register.

Continuing professional development (CPD) for primary care

For all those in community-based, primary care roles, access to professional development can sometimes be difficult. Whilst most NHS trusts have a library team who are on hand to support staff, students and trainees with their professional development and studies, many in primary care don’t have access to that support.

To help, we have collated an ‘online library’ of professional development resources and study aids provided by a range of relevant and trusted bodies and designed specifically for primary care staff and learners.

Health and Digital Literacy

Did you know that 43% of adults aged 16-65 struggle with text-based health information and that increases to 61% if the information also includes numbers? If you want to know more, take this 35 minute e-learning course which includes simple tools that can help increase understanding.

For people with learning disabilities and autism, we have also co-produced two easy read guides to download. ‘Get ready to talk about your health’ prepares them for what to do before they go for a consultation with any health or care provider. ‘3 questions for better health’ suggests important questions to ask during an appointment.

For anyone working or studying in health and care, as well as patients, their families and carers with general health and wellbeing we have collected books and online links – take a look at our Uplifting Resources and Your Health Collection.  The books are available to staff working a Trust via their health library, but most people will be able find the books in their local public library too.

If you work in planning and commissioning health care in your area you may be interested in our free, online geodata tool which gives you place-based information on health literacy by local authority area.

Find out more about our work to improve health and digital literacy in England.

61% of adults struggle to understand health information when it includes words and numbers

Knowledge Mobilisation

Some knowledge is not published but is individual or organisational ‘know how’. The NHS Knowledge Mobilisation Framework is designed to help individuals to develop and use skills to mobilise knowledge effectively. The techniques will help you to learn before, during and after everything that you do, so that pitfalls can be avoided and best practice replicated. A set of postcards is available to complement the framework.

A roadway demonstrating the journey through knowledge mobilisation

How do I get help from my Health Library?

Find your library

Your local NHS knowledge and library service can help you to make the most of these resources. They will often offer additional services including carrying out evidence searches and helping you to keep up-to-date. Visit your library for space to study, work and connect with your peers and the evidence. 

How to search literature effectively

These literature searching e-learning modules are designed to help you build confidence to search published literature for articles and evidence relevant to your work, study and research, whether you’re in a clinical or non-clinical role.
The modules are short, taking no more than 20 minutes each. They are perfect for you if you are new to literature searching or need to update your search skills. You can dip into any module for reference or complete the full course as you need. There are seven modules:

  1. Introduction to searching
  2. Where do I start searching?
  3. Developing a search strategy?
  4. How to narrow your search
  5. How to broaden your search
  6. Searching with subject headings
  7. Searching the NHS Knowledge and Library Hub and Bibliographic Databases
Cartoon images of people with books, at bookshelves and on laptops
Vector of a man and a woman using internet education resources, online library

Critical Appraisal

Understanding critical appraisal

Essential to evidence-based practice, critical appraisal helps enrich your research and learning and can be applied in a range of circumstances, such as formal or informal research projects, your professional development or while studying.

To support healthcare professionals to develop invaluable critical appraisal skills, there is an elearning programme: Critically Appraising the Evidence Base

Text: Critical appraisal  Build confidence in assessing research Image: emoji faces

Down load our digital elearning flyer

We have also produced a digital flyer that summarises all the courses mentioned above, which may be useful to download and share.