Principles of critical care
The RAPID course offers a safe and straightforward approach to the management of patients
Clare Pattenden: RAPID Course Convener
RAPID is the RCSEd’s newest course offering in the field of critical care. It introduces the RAPID strategy of Recap, Assess, Plan, Involve and Documentation, designed to enable candidates to fine-tune the knowledge and skills they already possess, and to facilitate a structured patient review in a simulated multidisciplinary ward round of stable and unstable patients.
With a focus on flexibility, RAPID is a two-day hybrid course comprising online learning and face-to-face simulation. The online learning is equivalent to one day of study leave and is available to candidates on the RCSEd Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This must be completed prior to attending the second day, which occurs in person and is composed of a Faculty demonstration, followed by practice and assessment moulages. This hybrid format has been facilitated to ease the application for study leave and minimise the potential for costly travel and accommodation.
“Realistic and relevant scenarios. Good amount of time to practise
and learn during the practice moulages with the trainer/tutor”
“Online content was good, vignettes brief but focused, videos with good slides”
“Very hands-on and practical with lots of opportunity to practise my skills when assessing a patient”
“Tutor to delegate ratio good for one-to-one feedback, full attention at moulages and demonstration”
“Varied topics, good length and depth, great lunch, loved chatting to the consultants about their careers”
“Very approachable, educational experience during the practice moulages“
“Very practical and always felt involved”
Measures of success
For successful completion of the course, candidates must achieve the standard of a final-day core trainee and will be measured against the standard of a day-one core trainee. Feedback is an essential component of the course and has been considered at every level, with the online aspect of the course providing immediate feedback via quizzes relating to the content, and Faculty providing face-to-face feedback on day two. Candidates who are unsuccessful in achieving the minimum standard of competency will be offered the opportunity to attend a future RAPID course.
The RAPID course and methodology outlines a safe and straightforward approach to the care of patients. It aids the recognition of complications that patients can face and encourages the provision of high-quality patient care. This is intended to be used in conjunction with other resources available to candidates, including textbooks, case studies, e-learning and ongoing clinical exposure.
“Trainees develop their confidence
in the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care”
Practical application
Upon completion of RAPID, candidates will be able to apply a systematic approach for the assessment of patients and will be capable of distinguishing between the stable and deteriorating patient. They will then be able to apply their learning to formulate a management plan for deteriorating patients and to identify the appropriate pathways for continuing patient care.
On completing the course, candidates will have demonstrated the knowledge and skills required to lead a surgical ward round and will have developed the ability to understand and apply the principles of critical care within this context.
RAPID is designed to meet many of the competencies required for students to complete the core surgical curriculum in use within the UK. The RCSEd has developed this course in partnership with national surgical trainers and training programme directors to provide a springboard for early surgical trainees to develop their confidence and competency in the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care.
RAPID is run primarily online and with minimal paper resources, reducing the need to print within most centres. This has been planned in alignment with the RCSEd’s commitment to environmental stability, and with the intention to easily provide updated course materials to training centres in the future without having to produce additional physical course materials.
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