The clinical teacher
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The clinical teacher · Oct 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialInstructional video for teaching venepuncture.
Safe venepuncture technique is a critical skill for health care professionals, to avoid accidental occupational injury. This study investigates whether watching an instructional video improves medical students' ability to perform venepuncture safely. ⋯ Students who watched an instructional video performed venepuncture more effectively and reported greater confidence with the technique. Medical students can benefit from having access to an instructional video on venepuncture as an adjunct to the standard curriculum. Safe venepuncture technique is a critical skill for health care professionals.
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Reducing prescribing errors is key to ensuring patient safety. Foundation-year doctors (FYs) have been found to be major contributors to prescribing errors, and often feel poorly prepared for prescribing by their undergraduate education. Numerous studies have reported these findings; however, few studies have introduced meaningful interventions. ⋯ We have introduced an inexpensive and simple prescribing aid, which has been statistically shown to improve prescribing confidence in FY1s. Foundation-year doctors have been found to be major contributors to prescribing errors.
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Geriatric medicine encompasses a diverse nature of medical, social and ethical challenges, and requires a multidimensional, interdisciplinary approach. Recent reports have highlighted failings in the care of the elderly, and it is therefore vital that specialist trainees in geriatric medicine are afforded opportunities to develop their skills in managing this complex patient population. Simulation has been widely adopted as a teaching tool in medicine; however, its use in geriatric medicine to date has involved primarily role-play or discrete clinical skills training. This article outlines the development of a bespoke, multimodal, simulation course for specialist trainees in geriatric medicine. ⋯ Simulation is an exciting and novel method of delivering teaching for specialist trainees in geriatric medicine. This teaching modality could be integrated into the training curriculum for geriatric medicine, to allow a wider application.
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To investigate how clinical supervisors of junior doctors provide feedback and assessment on cultural competence, one of several professionalism skills outlined in the Australian Curriculum Framework for Junior Doctors. ⋯ Supervisors were unable to define cultural competence in ways that enable them to apply the concept to clinical training for junior doctors. Specific training in cultural competence, and guidelines for its assessment, is therefore recommended for clinical supervisors and junior doctors to improve their approaches to patient care and health outcomes.