Training activity information
Details
Draft an antimicrobial management plan for a named infection
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.
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
- Identify what is expected of you in relation to this specific activity.
- What are the key components required in a robust antimicrobial management plan?
- Discuss with your Training Officer to gain clarity of what constitutes a successful draft plan, considering factors like clinical context, laboratory results, patient specifics, and adherence to relevant guidelines or formularies.
- Think about what you already know about formulating treatment plans, the use of specific antimicrobial agents, mechanisms of resistance, or interpreting laboratory results in a clinical context.
- Consider possible challenges you might face during this activity, such as selecting the most appropriate agent for a complex infection, considering drug interactions, or accessing relevant guidelines. Think about how you might handle these potential challenges.
- Recognise the scope of your own practice for this activity; know when you will need to seek advice or help from your Training Officer, clinical microbiologist, or other senior colleagues.
- Acknowledge how you feel about embarking on drafting an antimicrobial management plan.
- Consider the specific skills you want to develop – drawing upon any previous experiences of similar tasks, if applicable.
- Do you want to improve your ability to integrate clinical and laboratory information?
- To better understand the rationale behind specific drug choices or durations of therapy?
- To become more proficient in referencing guidelines?
- Identify the specific insights you hope to gain from engaging with this activity, perhaps regarding the partnership between the laboratory and clinical teams in guiding antimicrobial use or the practical application of antimicrobial stewardship principles.
- Consult actions identified following previous experience of similar activities, if you have undertaken this or a related task before.
- Did you previously identify a need to review specific antimicrobial classes or guidelines?
- Identify important information you need to consider before embarking on drafting the plan. This might include specific patient details, relevant medical history, current medications, allergy status, microbiology results (e.g., organism identification, susceptibility testing), recent imaging or other clinical investigations, and access to relevant local or national guidelines.
In action
- As you plan or perform the experiments for the validation or verification, does anything surprising happen (e.g., unexpected variability in results, difficulty obtaining or preparing samples, equipment not performing as expected, unexpected data points)?
- When you are analysing the data or applying statistical methods, do you encounter anything different from what you anticipate (e.g., difficulty interpreting results against acceptance criteria, challenges with statistical software or methods)?
- While drafting the validation/verification report, do you face any surprising difficulties (e.g., structuring the report, presenting complex data, finding appropriate reference material)?
- During any informal review of your work (data or draft report), do you receive unexpected feedback or questions?
- In that moment, how do you respond when something unexpected happens during the experiment, data analysis, or report drafting?
- Do you pause to reconsider?
- Do you seek immediate advice?
- How do you feel about adapting your plan?
- do you adjust your experimental approach, data analysis method, or report structure on the spot?
- Do you consider if this unexpected event highlights a need to seek advice or confirms you are working within your scope of practice (e.g., knowing when to escalate or seek clarification before proceeding)?
- Are you able to address the unexpected situation and continue with or complete the validation/verification experiments and report drafting?
- What do you learn in that moment about the practicalities of assay validation/verification, data interpretation, or technical report writing?
- Do you work within your scope of practice when reacting to the unexpected issue, particularly concerning the process for drafting the report for laboratory approval?
On action
- Begin by summarising the key points of the experience of drafting this specific antimicrobial management plan.
- What was the named infection, the patient context, and the core components of the plan you drafted?
- Consider any specific events, actions, or interactions that felt important during the process, such as interpreting particular lab results, consulting a specific guideline, or discussing an aspect of the plan with your Training Officer.
- Include any ‘reflect-in-action’ moments where you noticed something unexpected or had to adapt your approach while drafting the plan.
- What strengths did you demonstrate in drafting the plan (e.g., integrating clinical data, understanding drug choices, applying guidelines)?
- What skills and/or knowledge gaps were evident (e.g., interpreting a complex susceptibility pattern, navigating conflicting guidelines, considering specific drug interactions)?
- Compare this experience against previous engagement with similar activities, if applicable.
- Were any previously identified actions for development in formulating plans achieved in this instance?
- Has your practice in drafting antimicrobial plans improved?
- Identify any challenges you experienced during the drafting process and how you reacted to these. For example, was it difficult to balance different clinical considerations, interpret ambiguous information, or adhere strictly to a guideline in a complex case? Did this affect your ability to complete the draft plan? Were you able to overcome these challenges, and how?
- Identify anything significant about the activity. Did you need to seek advice or clarification from your Training Officer, a clinical microbiologist, or another colleague during the process? Did you need to escalate any aspect to ensure you were working within your scope of practice?
- Acknowledge any changes in your own feelings now that you are looking back on the experience. How do you feel about your ability to draft this type of plan after completing this activity?
- Identify the actions / ‘next steps’ you will now take to support the assimilation of what you have learnt, including from any feedback you have received on the draft plan.
- What will you do differently next time you draft an antimicrobial management plan, based on this experience?
- Has anything changed in terms of what you would do if you were faced with a similar type of infection or patient situation again?
- Do you need to practise any aspect of the activity further? For example, do you need to spend more time reviewing specific antimicrobial classes, practicing the integration of clinical and laboratory data, or familiarising yourself with specific guidelines or local formularies?
Beyond action
- Have you reviewed your notes and reflections from previous instances of drafting antimicrobial management plans for different infections or patient contexts?
- What actions for improvement did you identify from those previous reflections on drafting plans?
- Have you successfully completed or demonstrated these actions in subsequent attempts, including this most recent one?
- Are you ready to demonstrate this new learning into practice?
- Compare your experience of drafting this specific plan to other instances where you have formulated management plans or advised on infection treatment within this module or your training. What patterns, strengths, or persistent challenges do you notice across these different experiences?
- Has your view of the situation changed because of analysing this specific plan drafting experience alongside others?
- Have you engaged in professional storytelling by discussing the process of drafting antimicrobial plans, perhaps for complex or challenging cases, with your Training Officer, peers, or clinical colleagues (e.g., during clinical experiences or multi-disciplinary team meetings)? Has their perspective changed your understanding or approach since the original activity? Mutual exchange of experiences can lead to transformation in your understanding.
- Consider how your accumulated experience and reflection on drafting antimicrobial management plans is supporting you in preparing for formal assessments for this module.
- How has your practice in formulating antimicrobial management plans developed and evolved over time? Are you more confident, efficient, or comprehensive in your approach? Are you better at recognising when something is beyond your scope of practice and needs escalation or consultation?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 4 |
Outcome
Formulate antimicrobial management plans |