Authors (including presenting author) :
Li S C(1), Lo WPJ(1)(2), Yeung MW(1), Lee C H(1), Kwan YFE(1), Shum HP(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Intensive Care, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, (2) Hong Kong East Cluster
Introduction :
In recent years, due to manpower constraints, even new nurse graduates have been recruited and started their careers in acute care settings such as the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where demand has surged. Supervisors had to modify targeted training to fill the gap between general nursing education and critical care settings. However, nursing education in the pandemic era was always interrupted by blockades, social distancing and large numbers of hospitalized patients during the pandemic. Therefore, compared with predecessors, recent graduates have less clinical experience. Consequently, it greatly affects their ability and confidence to make clinical judgments and ultimately affects the quality of care.
Objectives :
1. Design an innovative Foundation Curriculum for nurse graduates working in the ICU, emphasizing hands-on practice 2. Provide fundamental critical care knowledge 3. Enrich their clinical experiences and guide the plan of care for critically ill patients.
Methodology :
A new eight-week interactive Foundation Curriculum was included in the six-month corporate preceptorship program. The opinions of previous nurse graduates were taken in to customize the training plan. The training curriculum included (1)a 4-day didactic session sandwiched with bedside coaching, (2)Intensive Clinical Skill Tutorials focusing on high-risk-high-volume nursing procedures such as Critically ill Patient Transportation and Mechanical Ventilation Troubleshooting, etc. (3)Besides, they received at least two days of direct guidance from the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), participating the Nurses’ Rounds to optimize their clinical practice skills, (4)a 3-hour ICU Specialty Simulation Training, various Animation experiences and (5)a Cope with Stress Workshop. (6)Online Quick References and Teaching Videos with Quizes were provided on the dedicated “Learning Drive” and Intranet webpages. Ultimately, their Core Competencies would be assessed and recorded. At times, immediate consultations via social media are also welcomed while timely feedback from preceptors and APNs will help track their learning progress and improve clinical skills quickly. A total of eight nurse graduates participated in the program. Self-evaluation (5-point Likert scale) was conducted 4 months after implementation.
Result & Outcome :
The average score was 4.5(ranging from 4.2-4.8). All nurse graduates agreed that the new program was interactive and useful to enrich their clinical experiences and strengthen their clinical confidence. The correlation between improved clinical experience and the safety and quality of critically ill patient care will be further explored.
