Twelve tips for developing and implementing an effective critical care simulation programme.

Simulation training in healthcare settings has become a valuable training tool. It provides an ideal formative assessment for interdisciplinary teaching. It provides a high fidelity and highly immersive environment where healthcare staff and students can practice developing their skills in a safe and controlled manner. Simulation training allows staff to practice skills that better prepare them for clinical emergencies, therefore possibly optimising clinical care. While the benefits of simulation education are well understood, establishing a programme for use by critical care staff is complex. Complexities include the highly specialised scenarios that are not typically encountered in non-critical care areas, as well as the need for advanced monitoring equipment, ventilation equipment etc. These 12 tips are intended to assist healthcare educators in navigating the complexities in the establishment of a critical care simulation programme, providing advice on selecting target audiences, learning outcomes, creating a critical care simulation environment and recommendations on evaluation and development of the programme.

Competency domains for registered nurse preceptor professional development: Evidence from a modified e-Delphi study.

AIM: To develop an evidence-based framework of nurse preceptor competency domains and competency descriptors for use in nurse preceptor professional development. BACKGROUND: Nurse preceptors are registered nurses who coach, support and assess nursing students while simultaneously caring for patients. Working as both clinician and educator requires preceptors to develop additional skills. However, preceptor preparation is often overlooked and may not be evidence based. DESIGN: A modified e-Delphi study. METHODS: A three-phase e-Delphi method informed the study that was conducted between March and September 2023. In the first preparatory phase an expert group distilled the results of a previous literature review identifying seven preceptor competency domains and more than 200 competency descriptors. Two e-Delphi rounds followed. A 70% rater agreement response threshold was chosen as appropriate in this study. The CREDES reporting framework was followed. RESULTS: In the preparatory phase, the expert group (n=6) reached consensus on six preceptor domains and 57 preceptor descriptors. In Round 1, nurse preceptors (n= 89) rated the domains and descriptors using a four-point Likert scale; from not important to very important. Six domains and 34 competency descriptors were ranked as very important'. Round 2 participants (n=30) who opted in from Round 1 indicated their 100% agreement with the Round 1 results. The results reveal that preceptors resonate intuitively with the six domains Role model, Facilitator, Leader, Evaluator, Teacher and Coach and the related descriptors. CONCLUSION: The preceptor evidence-based competency framework offers registered nurse preceptors and their employers the opportunity to focus efforts in developing a nurse preceptor workforce. The framework can be used to design preceptor professional development and offers registered nurses a self-assessment tool to identify their preceptorship skills strengths and areas for development. If implemented in these ways the framework may benefit healthcare organisations to provide quality nurse preceptorship, thus enhancing the clinical learning experiences of nursing preceptees.

A Reexamination of the Relationship between Training Practices and Welfare in the Management of Ambassador Animals.

There is an ethical need to document and develop best practices for meeting ambassador animals' welfare needs within the context of meeting zoo and aquarium program objectives. This is because ambassador animals experience direct and frequent contact with humans. This paper rigorously synthesizes behavioral research and theory, contemporary practices, and personal experiences to offer key concepts that can be applied to meet ambassador animal welfare needs. These key concepts include addressing an animal's recognition of choice and control, the use of the most positive and least intrusive effective interventions when training animals to participate in programming, and an overall reduction in aversive strategy use. Our model for increasing ambassador animal welfare focuses on seven main areas of concern, including the following: choosing the most suitable animal for the program; choosing the human with the right skills and knowledge for the program; using the most positive, least intrusive, effective training methods; developing a strong trusting relationship between trainer and animal; developing a comprehensive enrichment program; the need for institutional support; and creating opportunities for animals to practice species-appropriate behaviors. Our model will provide guidelines for improved ambassador animal welfare that can be refined with future research.

Designing a standardised emergency nurse career pathway for use across rural, regional and metropolitan New South Wales, Australia: A consensus process.

BACKGROUND: Emergency nurses are the first clinicians to see patients in the ED; their practice is fundamental to patient safety. To reduce clinical variation and increase the safety and quality of emergency nursing care, we developed a standardised consensus-based emergency nurse career pathway for use across Australian rural, regional, and metropolitan New South Wales (NSW) emergency departments. METHODS: An analysis of career pathways from six health services, the College for Emergency Nursing Australasia, and NSW Ministry of Health was conducted. Using a consensus process, a 15-member expert panel developed the pathway and determined the education needs for pathway progression over six face-to-face meetings from May to August 2023. RESULTS: An eight-step pathway outlining nurse progression through models of care related to different ED clinical areas with a minimum 172 h protected face-to-face and 8 h online education is required to progress from novice to expert. Progression corresponds with increasing levels of complexity, decision making and clinical skills, aligned with Benner's novice to expert theory. CONCLUSION: A standardised career pathway with minimum 180 h would enable a consistent approach to emergency nursing training and enable nurses to work to their full scope of practice. This will facilitate transferability of emergency nursing skills across jurisdictions.

Technology acceptance model perspective on the intention to participate in medical talents training in China.

Objectives: This study seeks to investigate the willingness of medical professionals to embrace training in sports medicine integrated talents, as well as the factors that influence their decision-making process. By utilizing technology acceptance models, the objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon and provide valuable recommendations to facilitate the development of proficient integration of sports and medicine (ISM) talents. Methods: The questionnaire was developed through a comprehensive review of relevant literature and consultation with experts in the field. A cluster sampling method was employed to select medical professionals from various medical institutions in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi) who had participated in ISM talent training. The collected data were analyzed using the AMOS structural equation model, ensuring a rigorous and systematic approach to data analysis. Results: A total of 403 questionnaires were collected in this survey, and 8 out of the 9 research hypotheses formulated for the model variables were found to be supported. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norm and training satisfaction were identified as significant factors influencing the behavioral intention of medical professionals to engage in ISM talent training (P < 0.05). The path coefficients for these factors were 0.17, 0.16, 0.31 and 0.24, respectively. Conclusion: In order to enhance the effectiveness of training for ISM talents, it is imperative for relevant departments to collaborate and focus on improving the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and training satisfaction. By doing so, we can effectively harness the subjective initiative of medical professionals, thereby increasing their willingness to participate in training programs. This, in turn, will contribute to the cultivation of "high-quality, high-level" ISM talents that are essential for the betterment of society.

Effects of governmental support on clinical nurse educators in South Korea: A repeated cross-sectional study.

AIM: To assess the effectiveness of the Clinical Nurse Educator Support Project and offer valuable insights for supporting nursing education. BACKGROUND: Allocating clinical nursing educators is crucial for supporting novice nurses' transition into the clinical setting and improving their performance. INTRODUCTION: In 2019, the Ministry of Health and Welfare in South Korea implemented the Clinical Nurse Educator Support Project, which involves governmental financial support for the employment of clinical nurse educators. METHODS: This study employed a repeated cross-sectional design to assess the project outcomes. Following the framework of the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model, secondary data from annual self-program evaluation reports were analyzed to assess program satisfaction, clinical adaptation, and turnover rates of novice nurses. The "Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist" guided the reporting of the study. RESULTS: The project played a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of nursing education. Novice nurses' program satisfaction and clinical adaptation consistently remained high or exhibited an increase. The project led to a decrease in turnover rate among novice nurses, while the coronavirus 2019 pandemic resulted in increased turnover rates due to limited clinical practice opportunities for nursing students. CONCLUSION: Government support for clinical nurse educators has positively impacted the institutionalization of nursing education. The pressing need is to prioritize not only the enhancement of nursing education quality and the improvement of nurses' working conditions but also the development of healthcare policies and programs to effectively respond to unforeseen challenges and crises. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY: Government and healthcare institutions must collaborate to strengthen clinical education, crucial for novice nurses' clinical adaptation. Prioritizing the improvement of nursing education quality and nurses' working conditions is essential. Continuous research and evaluation of the Clinical Nurse Educator Support Project is imperative to assess its impact and make necessary adjustments.

Faculty development programmes in simulation-based teaching: An exploration of current practices.

Background and Aims: Simulation-based teaching (SBT) has become integral to healthcare education, offering a dynamic and immersive learning experience for bridging theoretical knowledge with real-world clinical practice. Faculty members play a crucial role in shaping the effectiveness of simulation-based education, necessitating the implementation of comprehensive faculty development programmes. This scoping review explores existing literature on training programmes for simulation-based teaching, focusing on strategies employed and the overall impact on educators and the quality of simulation-based education. Methods: The scoping review comprised five sequential steps: identifying the research question; identifying relevant studies; study selection; charting the data; and collating, summarising, and reporting the results. The research questions focused on existing practices and approaches in faculty development for simulation-based teaching, challenges or barriers reported, and the effectiveness of utilised methods and strategies. Results: A systematic search of databases yielded 13 studies meeting inclusion criteria out of 1570 initially screened papers. These studies provided insights into various aspects of faculty development programmes, including their nature, duration, and participant profiles. Despite the diversity in approaches, detailed, specialty-specific programmes were scarce, especially in anaesthesiology. Challenges, while implicit, lacked explicit exploration. Most studies reported positive outcomes, emphasising achievement of learning objectives, appreciable course content, and relevance to teaching practices. Conclusion: This scoping review describes the existing literature regarding the faculty training or development programmes related to SBT. The programmes target various health professionals and have a wide range of durations. The need for such a programme targeting anaesthesiologists is emphasised.

Transformational leadership and employability among support staff workers with long tenure.

BACKGROUND: In the changing world of work, there is an urgency to gain insight into determinants of the employability among support staff workers with long tenure whose functions may become outdated as their competencies may no longer match the requirements of future jobs. OBJECTIVE: The specific aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership and employability. METHODS: Support staff (n = 236) from a university participated in an online questionnaire focusing on five dimensions of employability (occupational expertise, anticipation and optimization, personal flexibility, corporate sense, and balance) and transformational leadership (identifying and articulating a vision, providing an appropriate model, fostering the acceptance of group goals, providing individual support, and intellectual stimulation. RESULTS: Identifying and articulating a vision (ß= 0.247, p <  0.001), providing an appropriate model (ß= 0.196, p = 0.002), fostering the acceptance of group goals (ß= 0.298, p <  0.001) and providing individual support (ß= 0.258, p <  0.001) were associated with higher balance scores. No significant associations were found between the transformational leadership subscales and the other dimensions of employability. CONCLUSION: The current study found that just one specific dimension of transformational leadership was associated with only one aspect of employability for our target group of long-term employed support staff workers with a high level of job security.

Dementia-Inclusive Choices for Exercise Toolkit: Impact on the Knowledge, Perspectives, and Practices of Exercise Providers.

Physical activity improves the well-being of persons living with dementia but few exercise programs include them. The Dementia-Inclusive Choices for Exercise (DICE) toolkit aims to improve exercise providers' understanding of dementia and ability to support persons living with dementia in physical activity. We evaluated the co-designed DICE toolkit with exercise providers using a mixed-methods approach comprising pre/post questionnaires and interviews and reflection diaries. Among 16 participants, self-efficacy for exercise delivery to persons living with dementia and both knowledge and attitudes toward dementia significantly improved. Thematic analysis suggested participants (a) had a deeper understanding of the variability of dementia, (b) were planning for equitable access for persons living with dementia, (c) planned to promote social connection through exercise, and (d) were optimistic for future engagement with persons living with dementia. The DICE toolkit may improve exercise providers' knowledge and confidence to plan proactively to support persons living with dementia in programs and services.

Twelve tips for using the Understanding by Design® curriculum planning framework.

BACKGROUND: Health professions faculty engaged in curriculum planning or redesign can struggle with developing courses or programs that align desired learner outcomes, such as competencies to be applied in a clinical setting, with assessment and instruction. AIMS: Our medical school implemented the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework to achieve alignment of outcomes, assessments and teaching during the renewal of our four-year curriculum. This article shares our strategies and practices for implementing UbD with teams of faculty curriculum developers. DESCRIPTION: The UbD framework is a 'backward' approach to curriculum development that begins by identifying learner outcomes, followed by the development of assessments that demonstrate achievement of competencies and concludes with the design of active learning experiences. UbD emphasizes the development of deep understandings that learners can transfer to novel contexts. CONCLUSIONS: We found UbD to be a flexible, adaptable approach that aligns program and course-level outcomes with learner-centred instruction and principles of competency-based medical education and assessment.

Interactive clinical supervision training added to self-education leads to small improvements in the effectiveness of clinical supervision of physiotherapists: a randomised trial.

QUESTION: Does adding an interactive clinical supervision training program to self-education improve the effectiveness of clinical supervision of physiotherapists, reduce burnout, decrease intention to leave and increase participation in clinical supervision? DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding and intention-to-treat analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Physiotherapists (n = 58) working at a publicly funded health service. INTERVENTION: Participants in both groups received a self-education clinical supervision training package. In addition, participants in the experimental group received interactive clinical supervision training consisting of three 90-minute workshops. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was effectiveness of clinical supervision 4 months after training measured using the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale (MCSS-26). Secondary outcomes were the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Intention to Leave Scale, and participation in supervision. Focus groups were also used to gauge impressions of the intervention. RESULTS: The addition of interactive clinical supervision training slightly improved effectiveness of clinical supervision, with a between-group mean difference of 6.3 units (95% CI 0.3 to 12.3) on the MCSS-26. The estimate of the effect on the proportion of physiotherapists reporting effective clinical supervision (ie, MSCC-26 score ≥ 73) was unclear (OR 1.97, 95% CI 0.50 to 7.81). Physiotherapists in the experimental group reported slightly lower levels of depersonalisation (MD -3.0 units, 95% CI -4.6 to -1.3). There were negligible or uncertain effects on the other burnout domains, intention to leave and participation in clinical supervision. Qualitatively, participants reported that the workshops made them realise that supervisees could take greater ownership of where supervision focused. CONCLUSION: Adding interactive clinical supervision training to self-education leads to small improvements in the effectiveness of clinical supervision of physiotherapists. REGISTRATION: osf.io/yz3kx.

Maturing through awareness: An exploratory study into the development of educational competencies, identity, and mission of medical educators.

PURPOSE: Faculty development in learning-centred medical education aims to help faculty mature into facilitators of student learning, but it is often ineffective. It is unclear how to support educators' maturation sustainably. We explored how and why medical educators working in learning-centred education, more commonly referred to as student-centred education, mature over time. METHODS: We performed a qualitative follow-up study and interviewed 21 senior physician-educators at two times, ten years apart. A hierarchical model, distinguishing four educator phenotypes, was employed to deductively examine educators' awareness of the workplace context, their educational competencies, identity, and 'mission,' i.e. their source of personal inspiration. Those educators who grew in awareness, as measured by advancing in educator phenotype, were re-interviewed to inductively explore factors they perceived to have guided their maturation. RESULTS: A minority of the medical educators grew in awareness of their educational qualities over the 10-year study period. Regression in awareness did not occur. Maturation as an educator was perceived to be linked to maturation as a physician and to engaging in primarily informal learning opportunities. CONCLUSIONS: Maturation of medical educators can take place, but is not guaranteed, and appears to proceed through a growth in awareness of, successively, educational competencies, identity, and mission. At all stages, maturation is motivated by the task, identity, and mission as a physician.

Educação permanente para qualidade e segurança do paciente em hospital acreditado / Educación permanente para calidad y seguridad del paciente en hospital acreditado / Permanent education for quality and patient safety in an accredited hospital

Resumo Objetivo Compreender os desafios enfrentados pela educação permanente para o alcance da melhoria da qualidade e da segurança do paciente em um hospital público submetido à acreditação hospitalar. Métodos Estudo descritivo, transversal e com abordagem qualitativa. Realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com 22 profissionais, durando, em média, 22 minutos, as quais posteriormente foram analisadas e interpretadas por meio da análise de conteúdo temática de Bardin. Adotaram-se os softwares Iramuteq para a análise de corpus textual, e o BioEstat 5.3, para análise do perfil dos participantes. A coleta de dados ocorreu em junho de 2022, após aprovação nos Comitês de Ética em Pesquisa. Resultados Aplicou-se a análise de classificação hierárquica descendente, gerada pelo Iramuteq. Obtiveram-se três categorias: Desafios da Educação Permanente mediante o Processo de Melhoria Contínua; Educação Permanente para a Promoção da Qualidade e da Segurança do Paciente no Contexto da Acreditação Hospitalar; e Estratégias Educativas para a Melhoria da Qualidade e da Segurança do Paciente. Conclusão Identificaram-se desafios inerentes às ações de educação permanente em saúde, tais como resistência à mudança de cultura, adesão às atividades, alta rotatividade de profissionais e dificuldade para liberação da equipe de enfermagem para participar das atividades relacionadas à demanda de trabalho.

Resumen Objetivo Comprender los desafíos enfrentados por la educación permanente para lograr mejorar la calidad y la seguridad del paciente en un hospital público sometido a acreditación hospitalaria. Métodos Estudio descriptivo, transversal y con enfoque cualitativo. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a 22 profesionales, con duración promedio de 22 minutos, que luego se analizaron e interpretaron mediante el análisis de contenido temático de Bardin. Se utilizaron los softwares Iramuteq para el análisis de corpus textual y BioEstat 5.3 para el análisis del perfil de los participantes. La recopilación de datos se llevó a cabo en junio de 2022, después de la aprobación de los Comités de Ética en Investigación. Resultados Se aplicó el análisis de clasificación jerárquica descendente, generado por Iramuteq. Se obtuvieron tres categorías: Desafíos de la educación permanente mediante el proceso de mejora continua, Educación permanente para la promoción de la calidad y de la seguridad del paciente en el contexto de la acreditación hospitalaria, y Estrategias educativas para la mejora de la calidad y la seguridad del paciente. Conclusión Se identificaron desafíos inherentes a las acciones de educación permanente en salud, tales como resistencia a cambios de cultura, adherencia a las actividades, alta rotación de profesionales y dificultad de autorizar al equipo de enfermería para participar en las actividades relacionadas con la demanda de trabajo.

Abstract Objective To understand the challenges faced in terms of permanent education in health, for achieving quality improvements and patient safety at a public hospital undergoing hospital accreditation. Methods This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study with a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 professionals, lasting an average of 22 minutes. The interviews were subsequently analyzed and interpreted using Bardin's thematic content analysis. The software Iramuteq was used to analyze the textual corpus, and BioEstat 5.3 was used to analyze the profile of the participants. The data collection took place in June 2022, following approval by the Research Ethics Committees. Results The descending hierarchical classification analysis, generated by Iramuteq, was applied, resulting in three categories: Challenges of Permanent Education through the Continuous Improvement Process, Permanent Education for the Promotion of Quality and Patient Safety in the Context of Hospital Accreditation, and Educational Strategies for Improving Quality and Patient Safety. Conclusion Challenges inherent to the actions of permanent education in health were identified, such as resistance to cultural change, adherence to activities, high turnover of professionals, and difficulty in releasing the nursing team to participate in activities, due to work demand.

Mentorship in health professions education - an AMEE guide for mentors and mentees: AMEE Guide No. 167.

This AMEE guide discusses theoretical principles and practical strategies for health professions educators to promote impactful mentoring relationships. Traditional definitions are challenged, distinctions are made between roles such as mentor, advisor, coach and sponsor. As educational environments change and options for professional development expand, we argue that the traditional dyadic format of mentoring alone will not help mentees to maximise their professional growth. Newer formats of mentoring are discussed in detail and their advantages and disadvantages compared. We use a variety of theoretical concepts to anchor the practice of mentorship: self-focussed and other-focussed motives; psychological safety; personal interpretive framework; Daloz model for balancing support and challenge; zone of proximal development; communities of practice; and development along multiple layers of competence. Recommended strategies for effective mentoring are based on extensive review of literature, as well as combined professional mentoring experiences of the authors. We use key principles from the theories described and phases of mentoring relationships as foundations for the suggested best practices of mentorship. Finally, we emphasise the role of mentees in their own professional development and provide tips for them on seeking mentors, expanding their mentoring network and taking the lead in setting the agenda during mentoring meetings and formulating action plans for their own advancement.

"A different sense of what we do here, who we are and what we deliver": Provider perspectives on the effects of a change in governance of healthcare services in correctional facilities in British Columbia.

In 2017, British Columbia (BC) transferred responsibility for healthcare services in provincial correctional facilities from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General to the Ministry of Health. This study explored how healthcare leadership perceived the impact of the transfer on services, work-life, and job satisfaction. We conducted one-on-one interviews (n = 8) with healthcare managers and medical and administrative leadership within Correctional Health Services. Using the Two-Factor theory of job satisfaction as a framework, we applied Interpretive Description methodology to analyse interview data. Participants identified changes to four areas of the working environment: (1) staffing, equipment, and resources (2) systems of supervision and support (3) standards, policies, and quality improvement and (4) culture and orientation. These changes predominantly affected motivational factors of job satisfaction and were described as enriching the roles of managers and staff. Participants described improved autonomy and recognition of providers, increased quality of services delivered, and a shift toward patient-centred care. The perspectives of healthcare leaders provide new insight into the potential impact of transferring healthcare services in custody to a public healthcare system. Discussion of changes and their affects also provide practical learning for jurisdictions seeking to improve healthcare under a variety of governance and service-delivery models.

Access to and effectiveness of clinical supervision for allied health workers: A cross-sectional survey.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical supervision supports patient care and health worker wellbeing. However, access to effective clinical supervision is not equitable. We aimed to explore the access and effectiveness of clinical supervision in allied health workers. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design using the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale (MCSS-26), including open-ended survey responses, to collect data on effectiveness. Multivariable regression was conducted to determine how MCSS-26 scores differed across discipline, work location and setting. Open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: 1113 workers completed the survey, with 319 (28%) reporting they did not receive supervision; this group were more likely to hold management positions, work in a medical imaging discipline and practice in a regional or rural location. For those who received supervision, MCSS-26 scores significantly differed between disciplines and work settings; psychologists and those practising in private practice settings (i.e. fee-for-service) reported the highest levels of effectiveness. Suggested strategies to enhance effectiveness included the use of alternate supervision models, dedicated time for supervision, and training. CONCLUSION: Targeted subgroups for improving access include senior staff, medical imaging professionals, and those working across regional and rural settings. Where supervision was least effective, strategies to address behaviours with organisational support may be required.

Quality improvement initiative improves the empiric antibiotic prescribing practices in a tertiary care children's hospital in India.

INTRODUCTION: Infections are a common cause of paediatric morbidity. Antibiotics are vital in treating them. Erratic prescribing practices are an important cause for the development of antibiotic resistance. Our objective was to estimate the effectiveness of educational interventions to improve empirical antibiotic prescribing practices among paediatric trainees. We aimed to improve the compliance to antibiotic protocols and to sustain it over 6 months. METHODS: It is a time interrupted non-randomised trial conducted in a tertiary hospital in India. Initially, 200 admitted children were selected randomly. Their antibiotic prescriptions, adherence of prescriptions to the then existing antibiotics guidelines, course during hospital stay and the final outcome were noted. The existing antibiotic policy and its use were reviewed. It was then considered essential to prepare a fresh antibiotic policy based on national guidelines, local sensitivity patterns and with inputs from microbiologists. This was distributed to the residents through seminars, posters and cellphone friendly documents. Compliance to the policy was also tracked twice a week. The adherence to guideline was recorded in the subsequent 6 months. RESULTS: The adherence of empirical antibiotic prescriptions was 59% before intervention which improved to 72% in the first month, 90% in the second month, 86% and 78% in the third and sixth months, respectively. There was no significant difference in duration of stay and the outcome at discharge in the patients in adherent and non-adherent groups. CONCLUSION: Educational interventions and frequent monitoring improved antibiotic prescribing practices among residents with no negative impact on patient outcomes. Quality improvements need persistent reinforcement and frequent monitoring to be sustainable.

Marking parties for marking written assessments: A spontaneous community of practice.

In programmes of assessment with both high and low-stakes assessments, the inclusion of open-ended long answer questions in the high-stakes examination can contribute to driving deeper learning among students. However, in larger institutions, this would generate a seemingly insurmountable marking workload. In this study, we use a focused ethnographic approach to explore how such a marking endeavour can be tackled efficiently and pragmatically. In marking parties, examiners come together to individually mark student papers. This study focuses on marking parties for two separate tasks assessing written clinical communication in medical school finals at Southampton, UK. Data collected included field notes from 21.3 h of marking parties, details of demographics and clinical and educational experience of examiners, examiners' written answers to an open-ended post-marking party questionnaire, an in-depth interview and details of the actual marks assigned during the marking parties. In a landscape of examiners who are busy clinicians and rarely interact with each other educationally, marking parties represent a spontaneous and sustainable community of practice, with functions extending beyond the mere marking of exams. These include benchmarking, learning, managing biases and exam development. Despite the intensity of the work, marking parties built camaraderie and were considered fun and motivating.

Developing a programmatic approach to faculty development and scholarship using the ASPIRE criteria: AMEE Guide No. 165.

Faculty Development (FD) has become essential in shaping design, delivery and quality assurance of health professions education. The growth of FD worldwide has led to a heightened expectation for quality and organizational integrity in the delivery of FD programmes. To address this, AMEE, An International Association for Health Professions Education, developed quality standards for FD through the development of the AMEE ASPIRE to Excellence criteria. This guide uses the ASPIRE criteria as a framework for health professions educators who wish to establish or expand approaches to FD delivery and scholarship within their institutions.