Transport of Critically Ill Patients —
Training activity: 5

Details

Perform pre-use checks of emergency transport bag

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

• Consumables are in date, sealed and fit for purpose
• Checking of emergency drugs
• Availability of appropriate equipment
• Local SOPs

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 ensuring the emergency bag is fully stocked, all contents are present, in date, and functional, and it is sealed/ready for immediate use.
• Consider how the learning outcomes apply, specifically in relation to preparing all equipment for continuous use. Do you know the required contents and expiry dates for items in the emergency bag?
• Discuss with your training officer to gain clarity of what is expected of you in relation to the specific contents list and checking procedure for your local emergency transport bag.

What is your prior experience of this activity?

• Think about what you already know about the standard contents of an emergency bag (e.g., airway equipment, drugs, consumables).
• Consider possible challenges you might face during the activity, such as finding expired items, missing items, or items that appear used/damaged.
• 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 replace or restock items and report discrepancies.
• Acknowledge how you feel about performing this check – are you confident you know what to look for?

What do you anticipate you will learn from the experience?

• Consider the specific skills you want to develop, such as meticulously checking expiry dates or efficiently cross-referencing contents against a checklist.
• Identify the specific insights you hope to gain into why specific items are included in the bag or the potential consequences of a poorly checked bag during an emergency.

What additional considerations do you need to make?

• Consult actions identified following previous experiences of overlooking checking expiry dates on certain items.
• Identify important information you need to consider before embarking on the activity, such as having the official contents list and checking logbook available.

In action

Is anything unexpected occurring?

• Are you noticing anything surprising or different from what you anticipate whilst checking consumables and contents?
• Are you encountering situations such as:
  • Missing or expired items in the bag (e.g., essential drugs or specific airway equipment are missing from the checklist)?
  • The bag’s organisation is confusing or damaged, challenging the efficiency of the checking 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 seeking restocking supplies to replace expired items?
• Consider the steps you are taking in the moment, such as:
  • Immediately documenting the missing items and consulting the required contents list to confirm necessary supplies.
• How are you feeling in that moment? For instance, are you finding it difficult to locate items or verify consumables near expiry? Is it affecting your confidence in confirming the readiness of the emergency bag?

What is the conclusion or outcome?

• Identify how you are working within your scope of practice. For example, are you successfully confirming that all necessary consumables are present, in date, and functional? Or are you needing support because a complex, missing item requires guidance regarding the required contents or checking procedure?
• What are you learning as a result of the unexpected development? For example, are you gaining insight into the essential contents of the emergency bag or common deficiencies as you perform the check?

On action

What happened?

• Begin by summarising the key steps you took when performing the pre-use checks of the emergency transport bag.
• Consider specific events, actions, or interactions which felt important, such as identifying expired consumables (e.g., emergency medication or specific airway supplies), or confirming the integrity of the bag’s seal.
• Include any ‘reflect-in-action’ moments where you had to adapt to the situation as it unfolded, for instance, immediately documenting missing items and beginning the restocking process to ensure the bag was functional.
• How did you feel during this experience, e.g., focused on accuracy or frustrated by the state of the bag’s inventory?

How has this experience contributed to your developing practice?

• Identify what learning you can take from this experience regarding the contents, organisation, and critical importance of the transport bag. What strengths did you demonstrate, e.g., meticulous checking of expiry dates?
• What skills and/or knowledge gaps were evident, e.g., unfamiliarity with the quantity required for specific emergency drugs?
• Compare this experience against previous engagement with similar activities – were any previously identified actions for development achieved? Has your practice improved in identifying missing or critical items within the transport bag inventory?
• Identify any challenges you experienced, such as needing to seek advice or clarification on scope of practice regarding the protocol for reporting major discrepancies in the emergency bag contents.

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 implementing a more systematic checking and sign-off procedure for the emergency bag.
• What will you do differently next time you approach checking the emergency transport bag, for instance, by proactively verifying the inventory against the official checklist for all compartments?
• Do you need to practise any aspect of the activity further, such as familiarising yourself with the specific contents of the bag or reviewing the critical nature of any specific item?

Beyond action

Have you revisited the experiences?

• How have your subsequent experiences of using or checking emergency bags in various clinical scenarios 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 critical event required rapid access to specific, easily overlooked consumables forced you to re-evaluate the thoroughness of your initial inventory check, especially concerning expiry dates or item organisation during your first attempt at this training activity.
• Considering what you understand about preparedness, inventory management, and the criticality of readiness for unexpected events 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 meticulousness and process adherence for checking emergency supplies based on further learning and experiences? For example, how you proactively contributed to audits of emergency equipment readiness or suggested improvements to the bag contents based on observed needs.
• Has discussing the contents, organisation, or checking process for the emergency bag or the impact of critical supplies being missing during a transfer with colleagues, peers, or supervisors changed how you now view your initial experience in this training activity? For example, how professional storytelling with a senior colleague about a situation where the emergency bag’s contents were critical reinforced the importance of rigorous pre-use checks.

How have these experiences impacted upon current practice?

• How has the learning from this initial training activity, in combination with subsequent emergency preparedness or logistical support experiences, contributed to your overall confidence and competence in meticulousness, preparedness, and inventory management for critical contingencies, particularly in preparing for assessments like DOPS or OCEs? For example, how your accumulated skills in checking emergency equipment readiness now enables you to efficiently manage procedural trolleys/bags in other critical care situations.
• How has reflecting back on this specific training activity, combined with everything you’ve learned since, shaped your current approach to checking emergency resources and consumables? 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 designated lead immediately when the sign-offs required for the emergency bag are conflicting or when logistical requirements exceed departmental resource norms.
• Looking holistically at your training journey, how has this initial emergency transport bag check 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 necessary consumables and resources for managing patient stability during transfer.

Relevant learning outcomes

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