P0689 / #1947: ENHANCING POSTGRADUATE SKILLS IN PAEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE PHYSIOTHERAPY VIA SIMULATION-BASED EDUCATION: A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

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AIMS & OBJECTIVES: Cardiorespiratory physiotherapy within the paediatric critical care unit requires specialist knowledge and postgraduate training to ensure safety and clinical competency. Within the United Kingdom, simulationbased education (SBE) is primarily used for treatment skills and updates for cardiorespiratory on-call physiotherapists (Gough et al, 2013). The availability and accessibility of high-fidelity resources and specialist education is variable. A collaboration between Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, was established with the aim of providing a comprehensive SBE course to paediatric physiotherapists nationally. There are currently no other paediatric SBE programmes within the region. METHODS: During May 2018, 2 courses were run with a combination of pre-simulation lectures, simulation scenarios and peer group discussion. Following an international peer review from Queensland Children's Hospital and anonymised candidate feedback (N=23), the course content was divided into 2 separate study days (October 2018 and May 2019). This allowed targeted, specific SBE to both a critical care group and a high dependency care group of paediatric physiotherapists. RESULTS: 15 candidates attended the SBE paediatric critical care (N=8) and high dependency care (N=7) courses. Of the 14 anonymised electronic feedback responses, 96.5% rated the 4 simulation scenarios as extremely useful or very useful. Feedback themes were collated to guide future course content. CONCLUSIONS: The targeted SBE programme for paediatric critical care physiotherapists demonstrated improved confidence in managing highly complex scenarios alongside an opportunity for shared peer learning and reflective practice. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, the course is being modified for teaching via a virtual platform.