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RCPE Trainees' Survey on Workload, Procedural Competencies and Patient Safety

Dear Colleague,

The RCPE is working to improve the quality of medical training throughout Scotland and the UK in order to ensure that trainees are adequately trained and patient safety is maintained. Please take 4-5 minutes to complete this short survey which will provide us with much-needed data, based on the practical experiences of medical trainees, with which to inform on-going discussions with medical and training policymakers and influence the quality of training on your behalf.

Thank you

Dr Marion Slater
Chair, RCPE Trainees & Members' Committee
WORKLOAD

1a. Please indicate if there are currently any gaps in your rota.
1b. How long has/have the gap(s) been unfilled? (if more than one gap please answer for longest)
1c. Has a locum been employed to cover the gap(s)? (if more than one gap please answer for longest)
1d. What impact has/have the gap(s) had on patient care?
1e. What impact has/have the gap(s) had on your training?
2. Do you feel your workload on an average day shift is:
3a. Do you feel you have adequate access to additional hands-on support from junior colleagues, health care support workers etc during your day shift?
3b. Do you feel you have adequate access to senior trainees (ST3+) during your day shift?
3c. Do you feel you have adequate access to consultants during your day shift?
Please use this box to make any comments you may have on questions 3a, 3b and 3c:
4. What impact does your workload during a day shift have on patient safety?
HOSPITAL@NIGHT

5a. Do you have a hospital@night team?
5b. If yes, how is your standard hospital@night team made up? Please indicate number in each grade:
1
2
3-4
5+
FY1
FY2
CMT1
CMT2
ST3+
Specialty doctor
Medical Support Nurse
Advanced Nurse Practioner
Physicians' Assistant
5c. Do you all cover the same patients or are you split into teams?

6a. How many beds do you cover on a standard night shift?
6b. Do you cover an acute medical admissions/assessment unit or equivalent on a standard night shift?
6c. If no, do you still receive over-night emergency admissions directly to the wards you cover?
6d. If yes, do you also receive over-night emergency admissions directly to the wards you cover?
6e. How many emergency admissions do you see on an average night shift?
7. Do you feel your workload on an average night shift is:
8a. Do you feel you have adequate access to hands-on support from junior colleagues, night nurse practitioners etc during your night shift?
8b. Do you feel you have adequate access to senior trainees (ST3+) during your night shift?
8c. Do you feel you have adequate access to consultants during your night shift?
Please use this box to make any comments you may have on questions 8a, 8b and 8c:
9. What impact does your workload during a night shift have on patient safety?
10. Are you part of the cardiac arrest team on night shift?
TRAINING

11. How would you rate the training in your current post?
12. How often do you receive teaching by senior colleagues on ward rounds/at the bedside?
13. How often do you attend out-patient clinics?
14. Do you receive teaching at these out-patient clinics?
15. Have you experienced difficulty attending formal teaching sessions?
16. Do you have adequate access to your educational supervisor?
17. Have you encountered difficulties with obtaining WPBAs?
18. In your opinion does your educational supervisor have sufficient time to fulfil his/her role as your supervisor?
PRACTICAL PROCEDURES

19. Do you have adequate access to opportunities to undertake the following practical procedures?
Yes
No
Don't Know
Central Line Insertion
Intercostal Drain Insertion
Temporary Pacing Wire Insertion
Diagnostic Pleural Tap
Diagnostic Ascitic Tap
Ascitic Drain Insertion
External Pacing
Elective DC Cardioversion
Lumbar Puncture
20. Do you have access to adequate training and supervision in undertaking these procedures?
Yes
No
Don't know
Central Line Insertion
Intercostal Drain Insertion
Temporary Pacing Wire Insertion
Diagnostic Pleural Tap
Diagnostic Ascitic Tap
Ascitic Drain Insertion
External Pacing
Elective DC Cardioversion
Lumbar Puncture
21a. Do you have access to simulation training for practical procedures?
21b. If yes, have you made use of this facility?
22a. Have you ever been required to perform a practical procedure for which you do not feel you have been adequately trained?
22b. If yes, please specify the procedure
23a. Do you think that all medical trainees should be competent in:
Yes
No
Don't know
Central Line Insertion
Intercostal Drain Insertion
Temporary Pacing Wire Insertion
Diagnostic Pleural Tap
Diagnostic Ascitic Tap
Ascitic Drain Insertion
External Pacing
Elective DC Cardioversion
Lumbar Puncture
23b. By what stage do you think this/these competencies should have been achieved?
23c. Do you think that competency on a simulator is an acceptable equivalent to having actually performed the procedure on a patient?
PHYSICIANS' ASSISTANTS

24a. Have you heard of Physicians Assistants (PAs)?
24b. In your understanding, at what level do PAs operate?
24c. Do you have experience of working with PAs?
24d. In your opinion what impact do PAs have on access to training opportunities for doctors?
24e. In your opinion what impact do PAs have on the workload of trainee doctors?
24f. In your opinion what impact do PAs have on patient safety?
24g. In your opinion what impact do PAs have on quality of care?
25. Please use this space to tell us a little more about your experience, if applicable, of working with Physicians' Assistants
ABOUT YOU

What is your current grade?
What is your specialty?
Do you currently work in -
In which country are you based?