Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Consultants in emergency medicine have to deal with a wide range of problems, many of which they will not have encountered during their training. One way to assess the adequacy of specialist training is to ask recently appointed consultants whether or not they feel adequately prepared for their role. ⋯ Specialist training in emergency medicine needs to pay more attention to the acquisition of clinical skills and to preparation for management responsibility.
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Multicenter Study
The evolution of the emergency care practitioner role in England: experiences and impact.
The emergency care practitioner (ECP) is a generic practitioner who combines extended nursing and paramedic skills. The "new" role emerged out of changing workforce initiatives intended to improve staff career opportunities in the National Health Service and ensure that patients' health needs are assessed appropriately. ⋯ Indications are that the ECP schemes are moving forward in line with original objectives and could be having a significant impact on the emergency services workload.
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To evaluate the introduction of a focussed assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) scan into the early assessment of trauma patients in the UK. ⋯ FAST is a highly specific "rule in" technique and is useful in the initial assessment of trauma patients. Emergency physicians can perform FAST after a brief training period.