Audiovestibular Assessment & Rehabilitation —
Training activity: 2

Details

Prepare the clinical setting for routine hearing assessments appropriate to the age of the patient, in both adult and paediatric clinics

Type

Entrustable training activity (ETA)

Evidence requirements

Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee repeatedly, consistently, and effectively over time, in a range of situations. This may include occasions where the trainee has not successfully achieved the outcome of the activity themselves. For example, because it was not appropriate to undertake the task in the circumstances or the trainees recognised their own limitations and sought help or advice to ensure the activity reached an appropriate conclusion. ​

Reflection at multiple timepoints on the trainee learning journey for this activity.

Considerations

• Referral content
• Needs of the patient, including age, disabilities or other health conditions
• Patient centred care and support
• Local and national SOPs
• Reference ranges
• Infection control
• Patient safety

Reflective practice guidance

The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.

Before action

• What does success look like for preparing the clinical setting for these assessments? e.g., What specific equipment and setup are required for adult patients compared to paediatric patients? What are the expected infection control standards you need to adhere to?
• What is your prior experience with setting up clinical rooms for hearing assessments, either for adults or children? e.g., What do you already know about the required equipment and room checks? What challenges might you anticipate when setting up for different age groups, and how might you plan to handle them? What is the scope of your practice regarding preparing the setting and equipment checks, and when would you need to seek help? How do you feel about undertaking this preparation?
• What do you anticipate you will learn from this experience? e.g., Are there specific skills related to efficient setup or adapting the environment for different patient needs that you want to develop? What insights do you hope to gain about the preparation process for different age groups?
• What additional considerations do you need to make before starting? e.g., Have you reviewed any feedback on previous room preparations? Are there any specific details about the room or equipment allocated for this particular session that you need to be aware of?

In action

• What are you noticing about the setup process as you perform it? Are you noticing anything surprising or different from what you anticipate during the process of preparing the clinical setting for routine hearing assessments? Are you encountering any unexpected issues with the room or equipment as you prepare the setting? You maybe encountering situations such as:
  • A piece of equipment failing a pre-use check or not powering on as expected
  • An unexpected issue with room calibration or acoustic integrity that wasn’t present before
  • A supply of consumables (e.g., ear tips, electrodes) being unexpectedly low or missing
  • A previously unfamiliar setup requirement for a specific patient population (e.g., a very young child, a patient with mobility issues)

• How does this experience compare with previous experiences of similar activities?
• How is this impacting your actions? For example, are you responding to the situation appropriately? Are you adapting or changing your approach to the procedure? Is it affecting your ability to undertake the activity independently? Consider the steps you are taking in the moment, such as:
  • Are you re-checking cable connections or power sources immediately?
  • Are you consulting relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for equipment calibration or room setup more thoroughly than planned?
  • Are you seeking advice from a more experienced colleague or your training officer to understand the anomaly with the clinical setting?

• Are you changing your initial approach to setting up the room based on a new insight about patient flow or specific equipment needs?
• How is any unexpected development being resolved as you progress during the activity?
  • How are you working within your scope of practice? Are you successfully managing the situation yourself, or do you need support because it is beyond your current scope (for example, if equipment malfunction requires specialist repair or if a complex room acoustic issue needs senior audiology input)?
  • What are you learning in this moment as a result of any unexpected development? For example, are you learning a new troubleshooting technique for audiology equipment, or a more efficient method for checking room integrity, or a specific adaptation for preparing the setting for a particular patient type?

On action

• Begin by summarising the key steps you took to prepare the clinical setting for a routine adult and/or paediatric hearing assessment.
  • Consider specific events, actions, or interactions that felt important during the preparation, such as setting up specific equipment, ensuring room conditions, or managing unexpected interruptions. How did you feel during this experience?
  • Include any moments where you had to adapt your preparation plan in the moment (reflect-in-action), for instance, adjusting equipment due to a new patient’s needs or troubleshooting a minor issue.
• Identify what learning you can take from this experience regarding preparing clinical settings. What strengths did you demonstrate (e.g., organisation, efficiency, attention to detail)? What skills and/or knowledge gaps were evident (e.g., unfamiliarity with specific equipment for different age groups, optimal room layout)?
  • Compare this experience against previous engagements with similar activities. Were any previously identified actions for development achieved? Has your practice in setting up the clinical environment improved?
  • Identify any challenges you experienced during preparation (e.g., technical glitches, time constraints, unexpected patient arrivals) and how you reacted to these. Did this affect your ability to deal with the situation? Were you able to overcome the challenges?
  • Identify anything significant about this activity, such as needing to seek advice or clarification on equipment setup or infection control specific to patient age groups.
  • Acknowledge any changes in your own feelings now that you are looking back on the experience.
• Identify the actions or ‘next steps’ you will now take to support the assimilation of what you have learned, including from any feedback you received regarding your preparation.
  • What will you do differently next time you prepare a clinical setting for a hearing assessment?
  • Has anything changed in terms of what you would do if you were faced with a similar situation again?
  • Do you need to practise any aspect of preparing the clinical setting further?

Beyond action

• Have you revisited your previous reflections (reflect-before-action, reflect-in-action, and reflect-on-action) for this specific activity (preparing the clinical setting for routine hearing assessments)?
  • When reviewing these past reflections, what actions for improvement did you previously identify you would need to take to improve your practice related to effective room setup, calibration checks, maintaining infection control, or adapting the setting for different age groups (adults/paediatrics)?
  • Have you completed these previously identified actions? If not, what are the barriers? If so, how did completing them impact your subsequent performance of this activity? Are you ready to demonstrate this new learning confidently and consistently when performing this task?
  • Have you engaged in professional storytelling or discussed your experiences of clinical setting preparation with peers, near peers, or colleagues? Has discussing these experiences with others changed your view or understanding of the importance of precise setup, managing workflow, or best practices for infection prevention?
• Considering your cumulative experiences and reflections on this activity, how will the learning you have gained support you in preparing for relevant observed ‘in-person’ assessments for the module?
• How has your practice related to preparing the clinical setting developed and evolved over time across multiple instances of undertaking this training activity?
  • Can you identify specific examples of improvement or increased confidence in efficiently preparing the room, troubleshooting minor issues, or ensuring patient safety and comfort through proper setup?
• Based on your experiences, how has your ability to recognise when something related to clinical setting preparation is beyond your scope of practice improved?
• • Do you have a clearer understanding of when and from whom (e.g., supervisor, estates team, biomedical engineer) you need to seek advice or clarification regarding equipment faults, room environmental issues, or complex infection control scenarios?

Relevant learning outcomes

#	Outcome
# 2	Outcome Apply the principles of calibration for all types of equipment and rooms used in audiology.
# 3	Outcome Apply the principles of infection control within audiology services.