Whether you're establishing or expanding a training program. selecting nerve blocks for teaching is both critical and complex. As new block approaches to enhance patient options and safety are considered, the decisions become even more daunting.
The Menu of Choices
Imagine standing before a multi-page dinner menu, torn between the comfort of familiar dishes and the allure of something new. Will expanding your horizons delight your palate or leave you with indigestion? Similarly, when choosing training simulators, you face dilemmas:
1. Familiar vs. Novel: Do we stick with tried-and-true methods, or venture into uncharted territory?
2. Learning Experience vs. Complications: Will a regional block enhance the learning journey, or introduce unforeseen challenges?
3. Frequency of Use: Should we focus on frequently employed nerve blocks or explore rarer ones?
The Art of Balance
Inexperienced trainees are akin to student drivers—eager but lacking in foundational skills. Educators widely agree that a core curriculum (Plan A) is essential for successful outcomes. Here's why:
4. Proficiency and Confidence: Plan A includes core blocks necessary for common surgical procedures. By practicing these, trainees gain proficiency and confidence. They also learn the importance of teamwork skills that extend into Plan B or even Plan C.
5. Foundational Skills: Beginner and intermediate trainees benefit from mastering fundamental blocks. These form the bedrock for more advanced techniques.
The Rational for Plan A
The RA-UK Plan A program offers a straightforward rationale for developing a core curriculum. It also provides insights into managing Plan B, Plan C, and even Plan D. Visit their well-organized website, complete with tools for success, including the RCoA_RAUK_curriculum_guide_2021_v4.pdf. This A-Z guide for regional anesthesia considerations includes a series of resources designed to assist trainees in attaining the Key Capabilities required to meet each Stage Learning Outcome of the new 2021 Royal College of Anesthetists' curriculum.
Resources
Suggested content for each Key Capability of each Stage Learning Outcome is provided, along with supplementary reading for those interested. These online resources have been reviewed and recommended by national experts who believe this reflects contemporary, best practice. The goal for providing this list is to facilitate achievement of the High-Level Outcome which ultimately is to provide safe and effective regional anesthesia.
Final Thought
A thoughtfully designed nerve block training program nourishes the skills and confidence of practitioners.
Valkyrie Simulators offers the most anatomically correct simulators for mastering skills capabilities for regional block anesthesia.
What do you think about this Plan A Program?
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