During the month of May 2013, members of the PICU Taskforce and PICU Nursing Practice Committee delivered four days of intensive PICU specific education for pediatric nursing staff.
To allow the curriculum and content to be reached to all nursing staff of the PICU, the sessions were split over four days - 6, 7, 28 and 29 May.
Above: PICU Dietician Jennifer Baral presenting her lecture on feeding guidelines
The sessions consisted of a comprehensive timetable that included five morning presentations delivered by physicians and allied health professionals which highlighted the importance of inter-professional practice and communication. The presentation topics covered ranged from pediatric feeding protocols, high frequency oscillation and infection control to pulmonary hypertension and care of post-op cardiac patients.
Above: Skill Station
After lunch the nurses were asked to participate in three skill stations, which were run by PICU nursing staff, senior nurse educators with the assistance from SickKids educators. The skills stations included ICP monitoring, chest tube management and sterile sampling.
The team received extremely positive feedback from PICU nursing staff and has been encouraged to continue to run PICU education sessions every quarter of the year. The next sessions are set to take place in September 2013.
