On the 9th of November 2018, Corinne Millard, Nurse Educator from Rockhampton, delivered basic life support training at the mobile dental unit, based in Sapphire. The training delivered covered CPR and defibrillator use as well as common patient presentations, including high risk scenarios such as anaphylaxis and cardiac related events.
As part of this key educational encounter they also discussed the ergonomics of moving an unconscious patient from the dental chair to the ground for further treatment and the associated challenges in doing so safely. They talked through a range of clinical challenges the team may face in managing an unwell patient in their remote setting.
Being able to deliver training in their actual working environment, supports the development of muscle memory, leading to more intuitive recall when faced with challenging situations.
The Clinical Training and Development team will soon record video footage of the internal space of the Mobile Dental Unit truck which will convert into useable video format for our Brisbane Base immersive clinical simulation space.
By doing so, the simulation space will be able to replicate the working environment of the Mobile Dental Unit truck in a room at Brisbane Base by displaying a projection of the surroundings on three walls of the room. This will allow RFDS to present medical staff with a variety of acute scenarios, including deteriorating patient presentations when they attend other annual training activities at Brisbane Base and at corporate office.
The Clinical Training and Development team commit to providing two annual opportunities to support our Mobile Dental Unit colleagues with scenario based training.
The Traeger Clinical Innovation & Learning Centre
What is it, and how is it special?
Simulated learning environments are proven to support healthcare providers with a safe and appropriate environment to develop/maintain clinical skills, including rehearsing and replicating difficult patient presentations in complex environments.
The RFDS clinical innovation and learning centre (CILC) is utilising specialised video and recording technologies to allow the education team replicate external and internal environments. These environments can range from; Attending a patient on a paddock on a large property, to receiving a patient at a rural emergency department for transport to a larger tertiary hospital or a back of aircraft patient transport setting.
Why is it important?
Recreating these environments presents clinicians with a powerful representation of the day to day working environments they practice in. This further lends itself to supporting interprofessional team-based training between emergency services personal and RFDS clinical staff and pilots.
Being able to narrow the gap between real world settings and training environments is our strategic intent for our clinical workforce.
The CILC can also provide participants with recorded scenario play back for debriefing purposes.
Debriefing in healthcare simulation is where key learning outcomes are established, and this plays a powerful role in supporting and maintaining clinicians’ skills and evaluating crisis resource management behaviours in complex scenarios.
This investment in cutting edge technology allows RFDS educators to remain in the control room and outside the learning space, while driving the clinical scenarios for our staff, thus creating more realism and presenting safer learning encounters for staff.
Who will use it?
The facility will be used primarily by our clinical workforce, but we also want to involve our pilots as they play a pivotal role in decision making during patient transports. We also intend using the technology at other bases, which will support our Primary Healthcare colleagues too.
Is the facility unique or are there similar facilities around Queensland?
Our facility is a little unique, as it is the only one in Queensland. Immersive video technology is becoming more recognised as a powerful tool in recreating realistic learning environments for clinicians. We are only the second site in Australia to invest in this technology and the first healthcare one.
We intend implementing this solution at one of our inter hospital transport (IHT) bases on the east coast (Townsville, Bundaberg or Rockhampton), Cairns and Charleville. This will allow RFDS to consistently present our clinical workforce with world class training environments and content.
These environments have the most impact when used in conjunction with tailored clinical training programs. RFDS have developed two such programs; the recognition of the deteriorating patient program and the low dose high frequency program.
Are there any other perks?
The immersive technology can also be used as a chill out environment for staff. We can replicate waterfalls, exotic beaches and multiple locations from around the world (Paris, London, Rome, etc). It’s possible to have your lunch break anywhere around the world, any day of the week from the comfort of Brisbane base!
