We have a broad education programme for junior medical and nursing staff working in the ICU.
Our programme is coordinated by a team of enthusiastic clinician educators and contributed to by our large group of senior and junior medical, as well as nursing and allied health staff.
All JMS undergo an orientation programme and are supported throughout their ICU time by a group of supervisors of training (SOTs) who monitor their progress and help ensure their training needs are met.
Registrars have weekly, protected teaching sessions that reflect their stage of training. Junior registrars have a comprehensive curriculum that addresses the fundamentals of critical care medicine. In addition to more advanced technical content, the senior registrar curriculum includes skills in leadership and teamwork commensurate with their clinical role. Certificates in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and clinical leadership may be obtained.
Simulation activities are integrated into the registrar curricula, but weekly interdisciplinary simulations are also run. These address important emergency scenarios and teamwork skills, and all staff may attend.
Exam specific teaching is provided for the College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM) primary and fellowship exams and our pass rates are robust. An echocardiography and ultrasound programme also runs weekly, and trainees can easily obtain their focused cardiac ultrasound (FCU) or equivalent qualifications. Other regular education activities include journal club and interprofessional morbidity and mortality meetings. A range of local courses are also available for our registrars to participate in or assist with.
Fellowship roles are available to those at the end of their CICM training and include potential non-clinical portfolios of education, quality and safety, ECLS, as well as a full-time clinical echocardiography fellow role.
INTENSIVE (https://intensiveblog.com/) publishes support materials and resources for The Alfred ICU medical education programme. It is a FOAM website accessible to all doctors and other health professionals training in and practicing intensive care medicine. It ranked among the “top ten” critical care educational websites in the world when assessed using the Critical Care Medical Education Website Quality Evaluation Tool.
Nursing staff working within ICU are well supported by our team of 15 Clinical Nurse Educators, with coverage on the floor 7 days a week. New staff to ICU are supported through their orientation period with up to two weeks supernumerary whilst working alongside an allocated preceptor.
Registered nurses who are new to the ICU complete the Critical Care Development Program over their first 6 months in ICU. The Critical Care Development Program is designed as an introduction to ICU and consists of 2 education days combined with a comprehensive learning package.
All nursing staff in ICU are supported to complete a Post Graduate Certificate in Intensive Care Nursing through our university partners Monash University or Deakin University. The post graduate students are supported through their learnings on the floor within the clinical space by the nursing education team, whilst gaining experience caring for a wide range of critically unwell patients. ICU nursing staff are also supported to complete Post Graduate Diploma or Masters level study whilst working clinically in the unit.
Critical Care Trained staff are provided ongoing educational opportunities, including education in our specialist patient groups of Burns, Trauma, Heart and Lung Transplant, Ventricular Assist Devices and ECMO.