CLINICAL staff at City Hospital will be able to continually update and practice their skills on the frontline thanks to the opening of a new clinical skills lab located within the acute medicine unit on the site.
Speaking about the lab, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust Consultant Sarbjit Clare, who is the project lead explained: “What we’re actually doing is closing the gap between simulation and real time apprenticeship The lab contains an extensive range of equipment including lumbar punctures, chest drains and central venous puncture kits, an ultrasound machine and a patient simulator called ‘George’, who generates numerous murmurs and chest sounds according to how he is handled. There’s also an area where presentations and small group teaching can be carried out, as well as conducting simulated scenarios.
“There’s clear evidence that if skills aren’t practised again and again, they’re lost.
“By creating a facility at the heart of the unit that’s freely accessible to all AMU staff, 24/7, we can provide genuinely effective learning experiences. Teaching in chunks of 15 minutes is all it will take to make an ‘on call’ shift fruitful, enjoyable and memorable. It’s all part of creating a culture of learning which is essential to quality patient care and increased safety.”
“We believe that the lab won’t only improve on-call experience, but it will deliver an increased quality of care for our acutely unwell patients. This is also a clear sign to our clinical colleagues that we’re serious about investing in their future.”
ENDS.
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