The National Training Scheme for Bone Densitometry: A Nurse’s Experience

The National Training Scheme for Bone Densitometry (NTSBD) is a two-day course for healthcare professionals operating bone densitometry equipment and clinical scientists working in research. It is the only course of its kind in the UK and is accredited by The Royal College of Physicians, The Royal College of Radiologists and The British Institute of Radiology. The course provides: 

• a preliminary e-learning course 
• a two-day lecture course on Bone Densitometry in Osteoporosis Assessment and Management 
• an online examination 
• a portfolio submission process 

The UK’s only certified course of its kind enables attendees to identify osteoporosis using DXA technology, accurately evaluate DXA results and record data informing diagnosis and treatment plans. Valentina, who completed the course last year, kindly agreed to share her experience with us: 

The course mainly helped me focus on things that would increase my existing knowledge and work satisfaction 

“The course was easy to follow, well-organised, engaging and scientifically backed up. I absolutely enjoyed it and learnt a lot more about Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), different bone health conditions, diagnostic and technical aspects of the job together with patient management. The course mainly helped me focus on things that would increase my existing knowledge and work satisfaction. 

Discussing the course content, Valentina explained: 

It revealed areas in which I needed improvement and recognised strengths 

“It revealed areas in which I needed to improve and recognised strengths which positively influenced  my everyday practice and decision-making process. The most useful and helpful parts of the course for me were:   

• Correctly identifying the patients that required DXA scanning. 
• Knowing different bone health conditions and how they are clinically identified and managed. 
• Importance of correct positioning, scanning techniques and measurements. 
• Significance of the precise and accurate analyses of DXA images. 
• Understanding of the different health conditions and diseases that could have an impact on bone health. 

“The course is highly professionally orientated and these are just some of the useful topics that I have learned during the two days. I fully enjoyed the lectures and brain challenges quizzes combined with thorough research and analysis.” 

I highly recommend the NTSBD course 

“I highly recommend the NTSBD course to everyone who wants to gain deeper understanding of the profession and to develop the exceptional practice skills in their work place.” 

The National Training Scheme for Bone Densitometry takes place every 18 months, and is next taking place in November this year. There are currently still spaces available but we advise booking soon. To secure your place, click here.