TE21 Recommendations for Retrieval Services Seeking College Approval for Vocational Training in Anaesthesia
AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF ANAESTHETISTS
ABN 82 055 042 852
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RETRIEVAL SERVICES SEEKING
COLLEGE APPROVAL FOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN ANAESTHESIA - 2010
INTRODUCTION
Retrieval Services provide a vital service to the communities they serve and at the same time offer a unique training opportunity to individuals from anaesthesia, intensive care medicine, emergency medicine and surgical backgrounds. This Professional Document defines a process for Retrieval Services to gain accreditation for vocational training in anaesthesia.
1. GENERAL
1.1. An approved Retrieval Service is one that has been accredited by the College as appropriate to offer vocational training to trainees in anaesthesia.
1.2. The time spent working with the Retrieval Service will form part of the trainee’s ‘optional training component’ (as per Regulation 15). The total time allowable will be no more than six months and no less than three months. This does not apply if the trainee is working as a Provisional Fellow (having been prospectively approved by the Assessor as per Regulation 15).
1.3. Retrieval Services will only be approved by the College for training if they are part of one or more Approved Training Programs (College Professional Document TE 10 Recommendations for Vocational Training Programs).
1.4. Retrieval Services will be approved only for Advanced Training and the Provisional Fellowship Program (as per Regulation 15). This recognises the complex nature of retrieval missions.
1.5. This Professional Document is principally aimed at stand-alone Retrieval Services seeking accreditation for Vocational Training in Anaesthesia. However, it is recognised that trainees undertaking rotations in clinical anaesthesia or intensive care medicine may participate in retrieval work during their attachment, particularly after-hours. The principles of orientation, supervision of retrieval work, seniority of the trainee and retrieval training detailed in this document must be maintained. Trainees undertaking a clinical anaesthesia or intensive care medicine attachment should not spend more than 10% of their rostered and on-call time retrieval work.
2. THE SERVICE
2.1. The approved service must be under the direction of a senior specialist (anaesthesia, intensive care medicine, emergency medicine or surgery) who is responsible for the organisation, teaching, quality assurance and operational requirements of the Service and who holds a specialist qualification acceptable to the College.
2.2. Trainees may be full or part-time, but their work must include in-hours and out-of-hours work. Part-time work is subject to the requirements of the relevant College regulations.
2.3. As a pre-requisite, trainees must have a current ATLS or EMST certificate.
2.4. Job descriptions for the Specialist Retrieval Medical Staff must be acceptable to the College.
2.5. When Specialist Retrieval Medical Staff are appointed, the advice of a properly constituted committee capable of evaluating the applicants must be sought. College nominees for appointments committees may only assist with advice on the qualifications of applicants (College Professional Document PS44 Guidelines to Fellows Acting on Appointments Committees for Senior Staff in Anaesthesia).
2.6. A Supervisor of Training in Anaesthesia must be nominated by the Service and appointed according to the usual College processes. The Supervisor of Training will preferably hold FANZCA, or if not, another specialist qualification acceptable to Council. The Supervisor shall not be the Director of the Department or administratively responsible for its functioning unless the circumstances are exceptional. The duties of the Supervisor of Training are specified in College Professional Document TE5 Policy for Supervisors of Training in Anaesthesia. This appointment requires ratification by Council.
2.7. The Service must agree to notify Council via the Supervisor of Training of any changes that might affect training. Importance is placed on changes such as alterations in work-load and increases and decreases in the number of senior medical staff. This is particularly important if supervision is affected.
2.8. The Service must agree to inspection by representatives of the College/Council.
2.9. Posts in Retrieval Services approved for training by the College must be advertised with that approval being noted.
2.10. The Service must have :
2.10.1. A minimum of one Specialist who holds FANZCA.
2.10.2. Sufficient Specialist staff to provide supervision for all trainees in accordance with College Professional Document TE3 Policy on Supervision of Clinical Experience for Vocational Trainees in Anaesthesia. It is recognised that, due to the nature of retrieval work, the supervisor may not be present in person and may have limited ability to attend to assist the trainee at short notice. Clear processes, including trainee assessment, must be in place to ensure that trainees are not exposed to situations that are beyond their level of expertise. Trainees should be sent on retrievals alone only when they are deemed by their supervisors to be able to cope with remote supervision.
2.10.3. A formal structured orientation/induction programme for trainees, including occupational health and safety, the fundamentals of aviation medicine and safety around aircraft (fixed-wing and rotary).
2.10.4. Adequate secretarial staff (College Professional Document TE7 Recommendations on Secretarial and Support Services to Departments of Anaesthesia).
2.10.5. Adequate office space for Specialists and trainees.
2.10.6. Suitable study facilities for trainees.
2.10.7. Access to a suitable conference room for quality assurance, clinical review and educational activities.
2.10.8. Regular programs of quality assurance, teaching and continuing medical education (College Professional Document TE9 Quality Assurance).
2.10.9. Appropriate data collection processes for ongoing audit and research.
2.10.10. Ready access to appropriate computer facilities for Specialists and trainees.
2.10.11. Appropriate living accommodation should the on duty medical team be required to be on site continuously.
2.10.12. Access for trainees to appropriate library facilities with information sources appropriate to anaesthesia and retrieval medicine.
2.10.13. Specialists participating in Continuing Professional Development.
3. MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR TRANSPORT OF CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS
3.1. In addition to the requirements listed above, the Service must comply with all aspects of Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine Policy Document IC10 Minimum Standards for Transport of Critically Ill Patients. This applies to all Retrieval Services whether they are stand-alone or incorporated into a clinical anaesthesia or intensive care medicine attachment.
4. In addition to all matters above, the Retrieval Service will take note of and comply with all relevant College Professional Documents and New Zealand and Australian Standards.
This Professional Document should be interpreted with regard to the following documents:
PS39 Minimum Standards for Intrahospital Transport of Critically Ill Patients
IC10 Minimum Standards for Transport of Critically Ill Patients
TE1 Recommendations for Hospitals Seeking College Approval for Vocational Training in Anaesthesia
TE3 Policy on Supervision of Clinical Experience for Vocational Trainees in Anaesthesia
TE4 Policy on Duties of Regional Education Officers in Anaesthesia
TE5 Policy for Supervisors of Training in Anaesthesia
TE6 Guidelines on the Duties of an Anaesthetist
TE7 Guidelines for Secretarial and Support Services to Departments of Anaesthesia
TE9 Guidelines on Quality Assurance in Anaesthesia
TE10 Recommendations for Vocational Training Programs
TE13 Guidelines for the Provisional Fellowship Program
TE17 Policy on Advisors of Candidates for Anaesthesia Training
PS44 Guidelines to Fellows Acting on Appointment Committees for Senior Staff in Anaesthesia
ANZCA professional documents
College Professional Documents are progressively being coded as follows:
TE Training and Educational
EX Examinations
PS Professional Standards
T Technical
POLICY–defined as ‘a course of action adopted and pursued by the College’.These are matters coming within the authority and control of the College.
RECOMMENDATIONS–defined as ‘advisable courses of action’.
GUIDELINES–defined as ‘a document offering advice’.These may be clinical (in which case they will eventually be evidence-based), or non-clinical.
STATEMENTS–defined as ‘a communication setting out information’.
This document has been prepared having regard to general circumstances, and it is the responsibility of the practitioner to have express regard to the particular circumstances of each case, and the application of this document in each case.
Professional documents are reviewed from time to time, and it is the responsibility of the practitioner to ensure that the practitioner has obtained the current version.Professional documents have been prepared having regard to the information available at the time of their preparation, and the practitioner should therefore have regard to any information, research or material which may have been published or become available subsequently.
Whilst the College endeavours to ensure that professional documents are as current as possible at the time of their preparation, it takes no responsibility for matters arising from changed circumstances or information or material which may have become available subsequently.
Promulgated as PS52: March 2010*
Republished as TE21: April 2010
*This professional document is being piloted for 12 months and will be reviewed in March 2011.
© This document is copyright and cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without prior permission.
ANZCA Website: http://www.anzca.edu.au/
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