Facilitating Learning in the Operating Theatre and Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Almost every aspect of anaesthetic and intensive care practice can be taught within the operating theatre and intensive care unit. This includes knowledge in the areas of medicine, anatomy, pharmacology, physiology, measurement and statistics, invaluable psychomotor and global skills and abilities, as well as the many important non-clinical aspects of anaesthesia and intensive care including effective communication, leadership, management, ethics and teaching. The operating theatre and intensive care unit offer many advantages and pose numerous challenges to education. This paper briefly discusses what can be taught in the operating theatre and intensive care unit, the educational challenges and benefits of teaching in these unique environments, implications for teaching and what consultants and trainees can do to positively influence the educational activity. The paper concludes with suggestions for facilitating learning in the operating theatre and intensive care unit including the Soldier's Five, practice vivas, skills training, endoscopic dexterity, interesting article exchange, in-service sessions, electronic resources and use out of hours.

Characteristics of good clinical teachers in anesthesiology from medical students’ perspective: a qualitative descriptive study

“…Some important elements in teaching in the OR include giving the learner a specific role in the team, maintaining a positive and respectful relationship with the learners, and being responsive to the learners' needs. 16 We found these elements in our study. Interestingly, some authors emphasized the importance of letting the learners participate in the preoperative and postoperative visits, but the students in our study did not mention these elements.…”

“…Interestingly, some authors emphasized the importance of letting the learners participate in the preoperative and postoperative visits, but the students in our study did not mention these elements. 16 A possible explanation is that the students might not have been exposed to perioperative visits enough to perceive it as an important contribution to learning. Due to the short time of the anesthesiology rotation, students were, possibly, more focused on what happened in the OR than during the pre and postoperative period.…”

“…8 The unique aspects of anesthesiology include that teaching usually takes place in the operating room (OR)-a dynamic and fast-paced setting where students often work one-on-one with a supervisor for many consecutive hours. 15,16 The anesthesiologist needs to teach a variety of topics and procedural skills while taking care of the patient in unpredictable situations and a constricted period of time. 17 Therefore, some clinical teachers' traits, such as being organized and good in time management, might be considered essential.…”

Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia

“…In the operating room, production pressure, interruptions, unpredictability and other factors impair learning, and this is especially relevant for trainees learning regional anesthesia. 3 There is a trend for less reliance on exposure to sheer volume of cases in the operating room and more emphasis placed on a structured curriculum and preclinical procedural training. 4 Several models and trainers, including inanimate phantoms, virtual reality models and simulators, have been used to develop motor skills required for surgery and anesthesia.…”

The perceptions and adoption of environmentally sustainable practices among anesthesiologists—a qualitative study

“…An example could be reviewing the sequence of drug draws and minimizing the number of syringes required. Given the apprenticeship model of learning and inherent educational challenges in the OR, 25 attempts to standardize training on green anesthetic practices may not always be feasible. We recommend that departments begin by identifying and gathering positive agents of change from various disciplines within the OR community to collectively develop ways to impart sustainable practices through modeling in ORs.…”