Regional anaesthesia education for consultants and specialists in the UK: a mixed-methods analysis.

BACKGROUND: Regional anaesthesia plays an important role in perioperative care, but gaps in proficiency persist among consultants and specialists. This study aimed to assess confidence levels in performing Plan A blocks among this cohort and to examine the barriers and facilitators influencing regional anaesthesia education. METHODS: Utilising a mixed-methods design, we performed a quantitative survey to gauge self-reported confidence in performing Plan A blocks, coupled with qualitative interviews to explore the complexities of educational barriers and facilitators. UK consultant and specialist anaesthetists were included in the study. RESULTS: A total of 369 survey responses were analysed. Only 22% of survey respondents expressed confidence in performing all Plan A blocks. Specialists (odds ratio [OR] 0.391, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.179-0.855, P=0.016) and those in their roles for >10 yr (OR 0.551, 95% CI 0.327-0.927, P = 0.024) reported lower confidence levels. A purposive sample was selected for interviews, and data saturation was reached at 31 interviews. Peer-led learning emerged as the most effective learning modality for consultants and specialists. Barriers to regional anaesthesia education included apprehensions regarding complications, self-perceived incompetence, lack of continuing professional development time, insufficient support from the multidisciplinary team, and a lack of inclusivity within the regional anaesthesia community. Organisational culture had a substantial impact, with the presence of local regional anaesthesia champions emerging as a key facilitator. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights persistent perceived deficiencies in regional anaesthesia skills among consultants and specialists. We identified multiple barriers and facilitators, providing insights for targeted interventions aimed at improving regional anaesthesia education in this group.

Evaluation of the impact of the addition of a heart failure prescribing pharmacist to consultant-led heart failure ward round at a tertiary hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Pharmacists attending general medical post-admission ward rounds is established good practice. However, there is a lack of evidence on the impact of specialist heart failure (HF) prescribing pharmacists on consultant HF ward rounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact on prescribing when a specialist HF prescribing pharmacist attended inpatient HF ward rounds. METHODS: A prospective service evaluation completed at a tertiary hospital between September and December 2020. The same HF prescribing pharmacist attended the HF consultant-led ward round once a week on 15 occasions. For each medicine change, the pharmacist documented: who suggested the intervention, the medicine, prescribing action, reason for review and the primary reason for change. Medicines were categorised into four groups (heart failure, cardiovascular, anticoagulation and other) for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 158 patients were reviewed and 226 individual changes suggested; 48% of these were consultant led (n=108) and 52% (n=118) due to pharmacist recommendations. All medicines interventions were prescribed on the round by the pharmacist. For consultants, the primary reason for medicine change was to ensure efficacy of HF medicines, 80% (n=73), followed by safety (HF medicines), 20% (n=18). For the pharmacist, the primary reason was safety across all the medicine groups, 36% (n=42), followed by efficacy relating to missing drug history items, 24% (n=28). CONCLUSIONS: HF consultants focused on ensuring patients have the most effective combination of HF medications. The addition of a specialist HF prescribing pharmacist ensured a wider range of medicines were reviewed for safety and optimisation, helping to deliver a holistic review of all medications.

Where to focus? Insights from safety personnel and external safety consultants on lessons learned about safety climate interventions - A qualitative approach.

INTRODUCTION: Safety climate is important for promoting workplace safety and health. However, there is a dearth of empirical research on the effective ways of planning, designing, and implementing safety climate interventions, especially regarding what is going to be changed and improved. To address this gap, the present study sought to extract a comprehensive pool of compiled suggestions for safety climate intervention based on qualitative interviews with professionals in occupational safety and health management from potentially hazardous industries. METHOD: A series of systematic semi-structured interviews, guided by a comprehensive sociotechnical systems framework, were conducted with company safety personnel (n = 26) and external safety consultants (n = 15) of 21 companies from various industries. The taxonomy of five work system components of the sociotechnical systems approach served as overarching themes, representing different areas of improvement in an organization for occupational safety and health promotion, with an aim of enhancing safety climate. RESULTS: Of the 36 codes identified, seven codes were based on the theme of external environment work system, four were based on the theme of internal environment work system, five were based on the theme of organizational and managerial structure work system, 14 codes were based on the theme of personnel subsystem, and six were based on the theme of technical subsystem. CONCLUSIONS: Safety climate intervention strategies might be most commonly based upon the principles of human resource management (i.e., codes based on the personnel subsystem theme and organizational and managerial structure work system theme). Meanwhile, numerous attributes of external/internal environment work system and technical subsystem can be jointly improved to bolster safety climate in a holistic way. Practical Applications: More systematic and organized management of safety climate would be available when various interrelated codes pertinent to a given context are carefully considered for a safety climate intervention.

Consultoria em amamentação durante a pandemia COVID-19: relato de experiência / Asesoría en lactancia materna durante la pandemia de COVID-19: informe de experiencia / Breastfeeding consultancy during the COVID-19 pandemic: experience report

Objetivo: relatar a experiência de consultoras em amamentação no atendimento às lactantes durante a pandemia de COVID-19. Método: relato de experiência de atendimentos de consultoria em amamentação, nas modalidades online e presencial, na cidade de Fortaleza-CE, Brasil, entre março e abril de 2020. Resultados: diante de sentimentos de medo e ansiedade das lactantes, as consultoras prestaram apoio por meio de aconselhamento, bem como orientações com equipe multiprofissional. Todas as lactantes estavam amamentando e realizando distanciamento social e cuidados de higiene pessoal, sendo reforçado pelas consultoras a importância do acesso às fontes confiáveis de informação. Quanto aos problemas mamários, foram realizadas intervenções preventivas e curativas. Percebeu-se a satisfação das lactantes pelo serviço. Conclusão e implicações para a prática: a consultoria em amamentação constitui-se como um dispositivo agregador na saúde das mulheres que favorece tanto a promoção do aleitamento materno quanto a saúde mental durante a pandemia de Covid-19. Este relato traz direcionamentos para uma prática holística, com vistas à melhoria da qualidade do cuidado prestado, levando-se em consideração os atuais desafios da promoção da saúde diante da pandemia e pode fomentar novas estratégias exitosas

Objective: to report the experience of breastfeeding consultants in caring for breastfeeding women during the Covid-19 pandemic. Method: an experience report of breastfeeding consultancy services, online and face-to-face modalities, in the city of Fortaleza­CE, between March and April 2020. Results: given the mothers' feelings of fear and anxiety, the consultants provided support through counseling, as well as guidance with a multidisciplinary team. All the women were breastfeeding and performing social distancing and personal hygiene care actions, the importance of access to reliable information sources being reinforced by the consultants. As for breast problems, preventive and curative interventions were carried out. The mothers' satisfaction with the consultant service was noticed. Conclusion and implications for practice: breastfeeding consultancy is an aggregating device in women's health that favors both the promotion of breastfeeding and mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. This report provides directions for a holistic practice, to improve the provided care quality, considering the current challenges of health promotion given the pandemic, and can foster new successful strategies

Objetivo: relatar la experiencia de consultores de lactancia materna en el cuidado de mujeres en periodo de lactancia durante la pandemia de Covid-19. Método: informe de experiencia de los servicios de consultoría en lactancia materna en modalidades en línea y cara a cara, en la ciudad de Fortaleza-CE, entre marzo y abril de 2020. Resultados: ante los sentimientos de miedo y ansiedad de las mujeres lactantes, los consultores proporcionaron apoyo a través de asesoramiento, así como orientación con un equipo multidisciplinario. Todas las mujeres amamantaban y practicaban el distanciamiento social y cuidados de higiene personal, siendo que los consultores reforzaron la importancia del acceso a fuentes confiables de información. En cuanto a los problemas mamarios, se realizaron intervenciones preventivas y curativas. Se notó la satisfacción de las madres lactantes por el servicio. Conclusión e implicaciones para la práctica: la consultoría sobre lactancia materna es un dispositivo agregado en la salud de la mujer que favorece tanto la promoción de la lactancia materna como la salud mental frente a la pandemia de Covid-19. Este estudio proporciona instrucciones para una práctica holística, con miras a mejorar la calidad de la atención brindada, teniendo en cuenta los desafíos actuales de la promoción de la salud frente a la pandemia y puede fomentar nuevas estrategias exitosas

From staff nurse to nurse consultant: Survival Guide part 5: Surviving holistically.

John Fowler, Educational Consultant, explores how to survive your nursing career.

The Clinical Ethics Consultant: What Role is There for Religious Beliefs?

Religions often operate as comprehensive worldviews, attempting to answer the deepest existential questions that human beings can ask: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going after I die? How should I live? Often ethical systems are embedded and justified within these broader narratives. Inevitably, the clinical ethics consultant will encounter and engage with religiously based ethical systems. In this issue, the authors reflect seriously and deeply on the implications of such engagement.

Outpatient consultant physician service usage in Australia by specialty and state and territory.

Objectives To determine national service usage for initial and subsequent outpatient consultations with a consultant physician and any variation in service-use patterns between states and territories relative to population. Methods An analysis was conducted of consultant physician Medicare claims data from the year 2014 for an initial (item 110) and subsequent consultation (item 116) and, for patients with multiple morbidities, initial management planning (item 132) and review (133). The analysis included 12 medical specialties representative of common adult non-surgical medical care (cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, general medicine, geriatric medicine, haematology, immunology and allergy, medical oncology, nephrology, neurology, respiratory medicine and rheumatology). Main outcome measures were per-capita service use by medical speciality and by state and territory and ratio of subsequent consultations to initial consultations by medical speciality and by state and territory. Results There was marked variation in per-capita consultant physician service use across the states and territories, tending higher than average in New South Wales and Victoria, and lower than average in the Northern Territory. There was variation between and within specialties across states and territories in the ratio of subsequent consultations to initial consultations. Conclusion Significant per-capita variation in consultant physician utilisation is occurring across Australia. Future studies should explore the variation in greater detail to discern whether workforce issues, access or economic barriers to care, or the possibility of over- or under-servicing in certain geographic areas is leading to this variation. What is known about the topic? There are nearly 11million initial and subsequent consultant physician consultations billed to Medicare per year, incurring nearly A$850million in Medicare benefits. Little attention has been paid to per-capita variation in rates of consultant physician service use across states and territories. What does this paper add? There is marked variation in per-capita consultant physician service use across different states and territories both within and between specialties. What are the implications for practitioners? Variation in service use may be due to limitations in the healthcare workforce, access or economic barriers, or systematic over- or under-servicing. The clinical appropriateness of repeated follow-up consultations is unclear.

Disconnection: Exploring transfer from midwifery-led to consultant-led care a phenomenological study of women's views.

BACKGROUND: Understanding women's feelings during the transfer process can illuminate women's perspectives thus minimising the risk for postnatal psychological and emotional morbidity, and inform midwifery practice. AIM: To explore the meaning women ascribe to their feelings when transferred from an environment emphasising a social model of pregnancy and birth in a Midwifery Led Unit, to a contrasting, more 'medicalised' setting of a Consultant Led Unit. METHODS: The study adopted an idiographic focus, by conducting semi-structured interviews with new mothers. A purposive sample of eleven women was recruited via participating midwifery led units and their 'Facebook' page. An interpretative phenomenological approach was selected to explore mothers' individual perceptions of experiences. FINDINGS: Participants described feeling a strong sense of community in the midwifery led unit, where they enjoyed a sense of belonging, safety, and support. The overarching theme of 'disconnection' signified feelings of muted agency when transferred to a different environment. Women used adaptive processes to reconcile themselves to a medicalised ideology. The impact of the transfer also resulted in a sense of alienation and 'not belonging'. CONCLUSION: Adjustment to a different model of care meant women needed to rapidly amend their notions of normality and agency, at the same time as entering motherhood. Raising awareness about the possible psychological adjustments women have to make during at this time could provide reassurance to other women. It also highlights the need for support during and after transfer. Strengthening continuity of care could help facilitate the adjustment process.

Revenue of consultant physicians for private out-patient consultations.

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the revenue to consultant physicians for private out-patient consultations. Specifically, the study determined changing patterns in revenue from 2011 to 2015 after accounting for bulk-billing rates, changes in gap fees and inflation. Methods An analysis was performed of consultant physician Medicare claims data from 2011 to 2015 for initial (Item 110) and subsequent (Item 116) consultations and, for patients with multiple morbidities, initial management planning (Item 132) and review consultations (Item 133). The analysis included 12 medical specialties representative of common adult non-surgical medical care. Revenue to consultant physicians was calculated for initial consultations (Item 110: standard; Item 132: complex) and subsequent consultations (Item 116: standard; Item 133: complex) accounting for bulk-billing rates, changes in gap fees and inflation. Results From 2011 to 2015, there was a decrease in inflation-adjusted revenue from standard initial and subsequent consultations (mean -$2.69 and -$1.03 respectively). Accounting for an increase in the use of item codes for complex consultations over the same time period, overall revenue from initial consultations increased (mean +$2.30) and overall revenue from subsequent consultations decreased slightly (mean -$0.28). All values reported are in Australian dollars. Conclusions The effect of the multiyear Medicare freeze on consultant physician revenue has been partially offset by changes in billing practices. What is known about the topic? There was a 'freeze' on Medicare schedule fees for consultations from November 2012 to July 2018. Concerns were expressed that the schedule has not kept pace with inflation and does not represent appropriate payments to physicians. What does this paper add? Accounting for bulk-billing, changes in gap fees and inflation, revenue from standard initial and subsequent consultations decreased from 2011 to 2015. Use of item codes for complex consultations (which have associated higher schedule fees) increased from 2011 to 2015. When standard and complex consultation codes are analysed together (and accounting for bulk-billing, changes in gap fees and inflation), revenue from initial consultations increased and revenue from subsequent consultations decreased slightly. What are the implications for practitioners? Efforts to control government expenditure through Medicare rebate payment freezes may result in unintended consequences. Although there were no overall decreases in bulk-billing rates, the shift to higher-rebate consultations was noticeable.

Joy, guilt and disappointment: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experiences of women transferred from midwifery led to consultant led care.

BACKGROUND: Irish maternity services are predominantly medicalised and consultant led, therefore women who choose midwifery led care (MLC) do so in the context of limited birth choices. Transfers to consultant led unit (CLU) for consultant led care (CLC) can be unpredictable and can affect women's birth experiences. This study provides an in-depth exploration of women's experiences of transfer fromMLC to CLC during late pregnancy or labour. METHODS: Transfer experiences are explored through qualitative explorative in-depth interviews using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). SAMPLE: Mothers who had experienced transfer from MLC to CLC during late pregnancy or labour were invited to participate. A purposive sample of eleven women following birth (five to 16 months post partum) provided their views. FINDINGS: Women described choosing MLC as a means of avoiding interventions and hoping for a fulfilling natural birth experience. However, participants describe feelings of ambivalence about their experiences, leading to conflicting emotions of joy with their new baby offset with disappointment about needing to transfer to CLC. CONCLUSIONS: Choosing MLC in a risk averse culture can affect how women experience the transfer process. The impact of the transfer can involve a multilayered psychological and emotional adjustment to a different birth experience for women. The findings provide important insights into issues of policy, preparation, and communication prior to and after transfer to CLC, which should be useful for policy makers, health care professionals and educators.

From staff nurse to nurse consultant.

John Fowler, Educational Consultant, explores spiritual care for clinically based nurses.

'Just an extra pair of hands'? A qualitative study of obstetric service users' and professionals' views towards 24/7 consultant presence on a single UK tertiary maternity unit.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the views of maternity service users and professionals towards obstetric consultant presence 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. DESIGN: Semistructured interviews conducted face to face with maternity service users and professionals in March and April 2016. All responses were analysed together (ie, both service users' and professionals' responses) using an inductive thematic analysis. SETTING: A large tertiary maternity unit in the North West of England that has implemented 24/7 obstetric consultant presence. PARTICIPANTS: Antenatal and postnatal inpatient service users (n=10), midwives, obstetrics and gynaecology specialty trainees and consultant obstetricians (n=10). RESULTS: Five themes were developed: (1) 'Just an extra pair of hands?' (the consultant's role), (2) the context, (3) the team, (4) training and (5) change for the consultant. Respondents acknowledged that obstetrics is an acute specialty, and consultants resolve intrapartum complications. However, variability in consultant experience and behaviour altered perception of its impact. Service users were generally positive towards 24/7 consultant presence but were not aware that it was not standard practice across the UK. Professionals were more pragmatic and discussed how the implementation of 24/7 working had affected their work, development of trainees and potential impacts on future consultants. CONCLUSIONS: The findings raised several issues that should be considered by practitioners and policymakers when making decisions about the implementation of 24/7 consultant presence in other maternity units, including attributes of the consultants, the needs of maternity units, the team hierarchy, trainee development, consultants' other duties and consultant absences.

From staff nurse to nurse consultant: Spiritual care part 11: Atheism.

John Fowler, Educational Consultant, explores spiritual care for clinically based nurses.

Supporting parents through stillbirth: A qualitative study exploring the views of health professionals and health care staff in three hospitals in England.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the views of a range of hospital based health professionals and health care staff involved in the management of stillbirth. STUDY DESIGN: A qualitative pilot study informed by grounded theory conducted in three hospital trusts in the North East of England. In total, 21 consultant obstetricians, 3 trainees (including 1 senior trainee), 29 midwives, 3 midwife sonographers and 4 chaplains took part in six focus groups and two semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Two different approaches in stillbirth management could be detected in our study. One approach emphasised the existing evidence-base and patient directed choice whilst the other emphasised tradition and profession-directed care. These differences were particularly apparent in choices over mode of delivery, and the location of women as well as the time interval between diagnosis of an IUD and delivery. The existence of these two approaches was underscored by a lack of high quality evidence. CONCLUSION: Robust, high quality evidence is needed regarding the longer term psychological and emotional sequelae of different modes of delivery and varying time intervals and locations of women between diagnosis and delivery in stillbirth. If the competing discourses demonstrated here are found elsewhere then such need to be considered in any future policy development, evidence implementation and training programmes.

From staff nurse to nurse consultant: Spiritual care part 9: Judaism.

John Fowler, Educational Consultant, explores the considerations for clinically based nurses when caring for patients who follow Judaism.

Specialist advice may improve patient selection for decompression therapy following diving accidents: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Even in a landlocked country like Switzerland recreational diving is becoming more and more popular. Smaller lakes in the Alps are located at an altitude of 2500 m above sea level. The incidence of diving accidents among all helicopter emergency service missions and the consecutive medical knowledge about decompression injuries is low. Thus, a collaboration between the Swiss Air-Ambulance (Rega) and the divers alert network (DAN) was initiated to improve patient treatment and identification of decompression injury and necessity of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). METHODS: Retrospective observational study that includes all patients treated by the Rega which have been classified to have had a diving accident from 2005 to 2014. Patient and diving epidemiology was assessed and the impact of DAN collaboration on patient selection and identification of patients needing transport to HBO facilities were analysed. RESULTS: In the 10-year observational period 116 patients with diving accidents were treated by Rega. Mean patient age was 40 (SD 11) years and 95 (82%) were male. If the Rega emergency physician suspected a decompression injury (DCI), without DAN contact 27/28 (96%) of these patients were transported directly to a HBO facility, whereas with DAN contact only 53/63 (84%) needed transport to a HBO facility. DAN was involved in 66/96 (69%) of the cases with suspected DCI on scene, with a significant increase over time (p = 0.001). Mean flight time to HBO facilities was significantly longer (28.9, SD 17.7 min.), compared to non-HBO facilities (7.1, SD 3.2 min., p < 0.001). Due to specialist advice, patients may have been selected who finally did not need a transport to a HBO facility, although DCI was primarily suspected by the emergency physician on the scene. These patients experienced a significantly reduced flight time to the (non-HBO) hospital of 25.6 (SD 6.5) min. (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Collaboration of DAN and Rega may allow a safe patient selection and a consecutive reduction of flight time and costs. Due to international collaborations, evacuation to HBO-facilities for acute recompression therapy can be provided by HEMS within less than 30 min all over Switzerland. CONCLUSIONS: For diving accidents among HEMS missions, specialist advice by diving medicine specialists (DAN) appears mandatory to accurately identify and transport patients with decompression injury, as exposure of emergency physicians towards diving accidents and the diagnosis of DCI is low.

From staff nurse to nurse consultant: Spiritual care part 7: Islam.

John Fowler, Educational Consultant, explores the role of clinically based nurses in providing care for patients who follow the principles of Islam.

From staff nurse to nurse consultant.

John Fowler Educational Consultant, explores the role of clinically based nurses in providing spiritual care to patients who identify as Hindus.