Transport of Critically Ill Patients —
Training activity: 10

Details

Return, restock and recharge all consumables and equipment ready for use

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

• Decontamination
• Safe relocation including charge and continued fitness for purpose
• Reporting procedures for damaged equipment   

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?

• Identify what is expected of you in relation to all transport equipment and consumables being correctly returned, consumables used are accurately restocked, and equipment requiring power is connected to recharge, leaving everything ready for the next transfer.
• Consider how the learning outcomes apply, specifically in relation to preparing all equipment for continuous use and the importance of this task for the overall assessment of technical requirements prior to conducting the next transfer.
• Discuss with your training officer to gain clarity of what is expected of you in relation to the designated storage locations, the process for reporting faults, the procedure for restocking consumables, and the charging requirements for different equipment.

What is your prior experience of this activity?

• Think about what you already know about the locations of transport equipment or where consumables are stored and participating in restocking procedures.
• Consider possible challenges you might face during the activity, such as equipment being needed again quickly, discovering faults during cleaning/return, or difficulty locating specific consumables.
• Recognise the scope of your own practice for this activity i.e. know when you will need to seek advice or help, and from whom. You will need to seek advice from your Training Officer when required, for example if you need to report equipment faults, order replacement consumables, or manage equipment that needs repair.
• Acknowledge how you feel about this task – see it as a routine procedure or a critical safety step?

What do you anticipate you will learn from the experience?

• Consider the specific skills you want to develop, such as efficiently cleaning and returning equipment, accurately identifying and replacing used consumables, or proactively identifying equipment wear or damage.
• Identify the specific insights you hope to gain, for example, into the logistical challenges of managing shared equipment or the direct link between this task and ensuring readiness for future emergencies.

What additional considerations do you need to make?

• Consult actions identified following previous experiences of forgetting to restock certain items or returning equipment to the correct location.
• Identify important information you need to consider before embarking on the activity, such as where the cleaning supplies, restocking forms, or equipment charging stations are located.

In action

Is anything unexpected occurring?

• Are you noticing anything surprising or different from what you anticipate whilst returning, restocking, and recharging transport equipment and consumables?
• Are you encountering situations such as:
  • Missing or damaged equipment/consumables are discovered that affect the readiness checklist?
  • Difficulty locating specific restocking supplies or charging stations, challenging the efficiency of the cleanup process?

How are you reacting to the unexpected development?

• How is this impacting your actions? For example, are you responding to the situation appropriately? Are you adapting or changing your approach by immediately documenting missing/damaged items and reporting them?
• Consider the steps you are taking in the moment, such as:
  • Immediately consulting a checklist or logbook to accurately identify consumables needed for restocking
  • Seeking guidance regarding restocking procedures or reporting missing equipment
• How are you feeling in that moment? For instance, are you finding it difficult to ensure equipment is properly cleaned or connected for recharging? Is it affecting your confidence in ensuring readiness for future transfers?

What is the conclusion or outcome?

• Identify how you are working within your scope of practice. For example, are you successfully returning and preparing equipment for continuous use? Or are you needing support because equipment damage requires specific repair protocols that fall outside routine restocking scope?
• What are you learning as a result of the unexpected development? For example, are you mastering the logistics of maintaining transfer readiness? Or gaining insight into the importance of inventory management and reporting faults?

On action

What happened?

• Begin by summarising the key steps you took when returning, restocking, and recharging the equipment and consumables after the transfer.
• Consider specific events, actions, or interactions which felt important, such as meticulously checking all transport equipment for damage or accurately identifying which consumables needed to be restocked.
• Include any ‘reflect-in-action’ moments where you had to adapt to the situation as it unfolded, for instance, immediately reporting a major equipment fault (e.g., damaged transport monitor screen) to engineering or senior staff.
• How did you feel during this experience, e.g., focused on readiness or frustrated by difficulty locating specific restocking supplies?

How has this experience contributed to your developing practice?

• Identify what learning you can take from this experience regarding the importance of thorough restocking and recharging. What strengths did you demonstrate, e.g., attention to detail in identifying equipment faults?
• What skills and/or knowledge gaps were evident, e.g., unfamiliarity with the correct charging sequence for all transport devices?
• Compare this experience against previous engagement with similar activities – were any previously identified actions for development achieved? Has your practice improved in ensuring equipment readiness and avoiding critical consumable shortages?
• Identify any challenges you experienced, such as needing to seek advice or clarification on scope of practice regarding the procedure for handling and disposing of contaminated equipment.

What will you take from the experience moving forward?

• Identify the actions or ‘next steps’ you will now take to support the assimilation of what you have learnt, including from any feedback you have received, with regards to improving the accuracy and efficiency of returning, restocking, and recharging.
• What will you do differently next time you approach managing post-transfer equipment, for instance, by proactively establishing a detailed inventory list for restocking consumables immediately upon returning?
• Do you need to practise any aspect of the activity further, such as familiarising yourself with specific equipment maintenance or restocking procedures?

Beyond action

Have you revisited the experiences?

• How have your subsequent experiences of participating in other post-transfer restocking processes or encountering transfers delayed by uncharged/missing equipment since completing this specific training activity led you to revisit your initial approach or decisions during that activity? For example, how an instance where a subsequent emergency transfer was delayed due to low battery life on a critical device forced you to re-evaluate the meticulousness of your recharging and reporting process during your first attempt at this training activity.
• Considering what you understand about logistical thinking, workflow efficiency, and ensuring equipment readiness now, were the actions or considerations you identified after your initial reflection on this training activity sufficient? How have you since implemented or adapted improvements in your proactive identification of items needing restocking or reporting equipment requiring maintenance based on further learning and experiences? For example, how you proactively contributed to discussions about equipment inventory or suggested changes to restocking procedures to prevent recurrence.
• Has discussing the logistics, challenges, or importance of equipment turnaround or the impact of missing/uncharged equipment on future emergency transfers with colleagues or support staff changed how you now view your initial experience in this training activity? For example, how professional storytelling with a senior colleague about a transfer delayed due to equipment issues refined your understanding of the critical role of logistics in supporting clinical care.

How have these experiences impacted upon current practice?

• How has the learning from this initial training activity, in combination with subsequent restocking and logistical experiences, contributed to your overall confidence and competence in inventory management, logistical thinking, and supporting workflow efficiency, particularly in preparing for assessments like DOPS or OCEs? For example, how your accumulated ability in maintaining equipment and consumables readiness now enables you to contribute effectively to the operational aspects supporting clinical practice, relevant for assessments that evaluate your specialty knowledge.
• How has reflecting back on this specific training activity, combined with everything you’ve learned since, shaped your current approach to maintaining equipment readiness for future transfers? How does this evolved understanding help you identify when something is beyond your scope of practice or requires escalation? For example, how your evolved approach means you now routinely seek advice from the Training Officer or Technical Specialist immediately when equipment damage or faults require repair protocols that fall outside routine restocking scope, recognising this needs senior technical reporting.
• Looking holistically at your training journey, how has this initial restocking and recharging experience, revisited with your current perspective, contributed to your development in meeting the learning outcomes related to preparing all equipment for continuous use? For example, how this foundational experience has supported your development in understanding the operational aspects necessary for effective clinical practice.

Relevant learning outcomes

#	Outcome
# 3	Outcome Prepare all equipment for continuous use during the transfer of critically ill patients.