Acute Care

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Demonstrate competence in appropriate physical and mental health examinations
• Show ability to establish a differential diagnosis where possible and in considering what might change this.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the safety procedures involved in prescribing controlled drugs
• Apply knowledge of basic sciences to reach diagnoses and to the understanding of management planning
• Take responsibility for your own learning and your continuing professional development
• Demonstrate an ability to recognise and start management of acutely ill patients under supervision, including variety of situations where a patient requires resuscitation
• Use medicines safely and effectively (under supervision) including giving a clear explanation to patients
• Demonstrate asking for patients’ informed consent (under supervision) in accordance with GMC guidance
• Justify, request and interpret the results of appropriate investigations to confirm clinical findings in a timely manner
• Demonstrate knowledge and application of the principles and practice of infection control to reduce the risk of cross-infection
• Demonstrate knowledge of treatment options and the limits of evidence supporting them
• Describe and reflect on the importance of multi-professional team-working to successful patient outcomes in acute care; and, under appropriate supervision, begin to contribute to the multi-professional team.
• Show the application of knowledge and recognition of relevant factors including physical, psychological and social factors to identify possible differential diagnoses.
• Establish a relationship with a patient to help them to make decisions on their immediate and longer-term care
• Keep accurate and clear clinical records that can be understood by colleagues.
• Demonstrate performance in obtaining an appropriate and relevant history and identifying the main findings
• Demonstrate the safe performance of core clinical and procedural skills

In order to meet the learning outcomes, the syllabus will contain teaching in the following areas:

• Basic resuscitation and life support.
• Professional issues in acute care.
• Ethical issues such as organ donation and end of life care.
• The generic treatment approach to the management of the critically ill patient, focussing on the team centred approach.
• Therapeutics.

Students will be encouraged to gain exposure to a wide range of medical conditions/ procedures during the 3 week clinical component and will be provided with a list of those that are most important to them, as follows:

• Airway obstruction.
• Respiratory failure.
• Infective pneumonia / aspiration.
• Pulmonary oedema.
• Shock – haemorrhagic & septic.
• Orthopaedic trauma.
• Intra - abdominal catastrophe: Peritonitis, bowel obstruction, pancreatitis.
• Urinary tract infection/urinary obstruction.
• Drug overdose/self-harm.
• Complications of obesity, alcohol and drug dependency (at least one of).
• Intracerebral haemorrhage.
• Myocardial infarct/arrhythmia.
• Metabolic derangements: Hypo/hyperglycaemia, hypo/hyperkalaemia & hypo/hypernatremia (at least one of).

The module will be taught through a range of learning and teaching strategies which will include:

• Tutor led tutorials/workshops
• Practical sessions (clinical skills)
• Portfolios
• eLearning
• Patient based learning (ward and clinic work)
• Lectures

Students will learn in a variety of clinical settings such as:

• Pre hospital care
• Emergency departments/ major trauma centres
• Acute Medical Units
• Intensive care
• Surgical High care unit
• Coronary care unit
• Neonatal intensive care unit
• Respiratory high care unit
• Outreach services
• Operating theatres/ anaesthetics departments

Students will be assigned a clinical supervisor at the start of the module who will be responsible for reviewing the student’s log book and signing off on their attendance and also completing their end of attachment form.

Students are likely to have a number of lecture sessions and will be expected to undertake case studies and practical sessions in a simulation suite.

Following the first week of the course, students will spend 3 weeks in a variety of clinical settings.

Doctors work in shift patterns and rotas throughout much of their working lives and to prepare you for such working once you graduate, throughout your programme you will be expected to undertake placements in the evenings, at nights and at weekends. This will not be an onerous requirement and will be negotiated well in advance so that students with carers’ requirements will be able to ensure appropriate arrangements are in place for cover.

Within this module there may be some core/compulsory activities that will take place in the evenings, nights or weekends therefore students will commitments that will be affected by these should be pro-active in securing details of these activities well in advance of the start of the module. In addition, many non core learning opportunities will be available during these times and students are encouraged to take advantage of them.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.