European Trauma (ETC)

The ETC is targeted at doctors from all specialties and other highly qualified health care professionals (e.g. advanced nurse practitioners, critical care paramedics etc.) who treat major trauma patients in their daily practice.  It is an advanced course and candidates must have experience in treating major trauma patients before they attend a course.  The course is particularly useful for those working in a Level One Trauma Centre.

The programme aims on improving outcomes of major trauma by offering state-of-the-art trauma training with a focus on the multi-specialty, multi-professional team approach and on developing non-technical skills as a team leader and a team member.

The workshops are the educational core elements of the ETC, each addressing specific topics covering the complete spectrum of major trauma.

The first day of the course focuses on the identification and treatment of injuries that pose an immediate threat to life: problems associated with the patient’s airway, breathing, thoracic injuries and shock. On the second day participants deal with a more in-depth assessment of specific body areas and on day three patient transfer and team leader issues are covered.

In each workshop there are two instructors and four candidates. The latter assume the roles of trauma team members, with one identified as the team leader. This team training approach reflects typical conditions in a European emergency department. The roles are changed in every module giving every candidate the opportunity to take up each role within a trauma team.

Each workshop contains between three to four learning modules; each consists of a short team briefing, a trauma admission scenario with embedded psychomotor/visuospatial skill teaching and a subsequent team debriefing. All have predetermined specific learning objectives, which address medical, communication or leadership issues that are frequently encountered during trauma resuscitation; for example shock management, prioritising resuscitation treatment, delegation of tasks, recognising potential for other injuries and communication with relevant specialties.

During the scenarios, candidates undertake complete trauma management including assessment, resuscitation, practical skills, interpretation of investigations, communication and team interaction as required. Specific skills are developed by the two instructors within each scenario using a modified four-step approach. Each module is closed with a debriefing where candidates and instructors discuss the learning points and review the team performance.

The ETC is a “hands-on” course. The novel modular course concept is scenario based and provides state-of-the-art team training through workshops and skill stations, reflecting prevailing European practice.  The scenarios are simulations of typical major trauma admissions in an emergency department/shock-room environment. Up to twenty-four candidates, in teams of four (doctors from all specialties, nurses, and paramedics), are taken through 30 progressive trauma admission scenarios with a strong focus on teamwork, communication and non-technical skills.

The modules cover all major aspects of trauma resuscitation. Two interactive lectures and one faculty demonstration complete the course and keep didactic teaching to a minimum.

In order to pass you must attend the whole course and you must pass the assessment. The assessment consists of continuous formative assessment followed by summative assessment on the last day of the course.

Formative assessment: you will be assessed during the scenarios and we will be looking at your knowledge, at your team member skills (knowing your role within the team, performing your tasks during the scenarios, being helpful to colleagues, being proactive and communicating well!) and at your team leader skills (leadership, overview, task allocation, decision making, empathy, clear communication and being able to listen to your team!) After each scenario there is direct feedback to the candidates.

Summative assessment: at the end of the course there is a team leader assessment station, where we specifically assess your team leader skills. You will be running a test scenario as a trauma team leader.

You must know the manual when you attend. Unlike in other Life Support courses there are no repetition lectures on the ETC.  The ETC is an advanced course and candidates must have experience in treating major trauma patients before they attend a course.