Training activity information
Details
Plan and prepare to conduct long term monitoring for: Epileptic conditions Epilepsy imitators
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
What does success look like?
- Identify what is expected of you in relation to planning and preparing for long-term monitoring (LTM), specifically for patients with epileptic conditions or epilepsy imitators. Success in this context means effective planning and preparation.
- Consider how the learning outcomes apply, specifically in relation to planning, preparing, and performing LTM recordings in home-based settings and on the ward, and practicing according to relevant guidelines and protocols .
- Discuss with your training officer to gain clarity of what is expected of you in the planning and preparation process for these types of studies. What specific considerations are paramount for epilepsy patients or those with suspected imitators?
What is your prior experience of this activity?
- Think about what you already know about planning and preparing for LTM studies or similar neurophysiological investigations. Have you planned/prepared for LTM before, specifically for patients with epilepsy or potential epilepsy imitators?
- Consider possible challenges you might face during the activity, such as coordinating setup in different settings (ward/home), managing patient/carer expectations for a long study, or addressing specific concerns related to seizures or non-epileptic events.
- 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:
- When dealing with complex patient needs or logistical challenges in the planning phase.
- If specific protocols or guidelines related to seizure management need verification prior to setup.
- Acknowledge how you feel about embarking on planning and preparing for LTM studies for this patient group.
What do you anticipate you will learn from the experience?
- Consider the specific skills you want to develop, such as tailoring procedural planning and patient preparation for LTM studies, especially focusing on the needs of patients with epilepsy or epilepsy imitators.
- Identify the specific insights you hope to gain into the logistical differences between settings (ward/home) or the specific information needed for this patient cohort.
What additional considerations do you need to make?
- Consult actions identified following previous experiences of planning or preparing for patient procedures, particularly complex or extended ones.
- Identify important information you need to consider before embarking on planning, such as reviewing the patient’s clinical history, the specific reason for LTM (epilepsy vs. imitator), potential seizure types or triggers, and logistical details of the planned setting (ward/home).
In action
Is anything unexpected occurring?
- Are you noticing anything surprising or different from what you anticipate whilst organising resources or gathering patient clinical information related to their condition?
- Are you encountering situations such as:
- Unexpected logistical hurdles that challenge the standard planning workflow e.g., necessary equipment is suddenly unavailable or coordinating ward/home logistics is unexpectedly complex?
- Conflicting or vague patient history details that complicate the necessary preparation e.g., ambiguity between suspected epileptic conditions and epilepsy imitators?
- Specific departmental protocols regarding seizure management or video recording are difficult to apply to the patient’s planned setting (ward or home)?
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 to prioritising specific planning steps or equipment verification?
- Consider the steps you are taking in the moment, such as:
- Immediately consulting standard operating procedures (SOPs) or the Training Officer to resolve unexpected equipment issues or verify ambiguous clinical history details.
- Halting the planning process until clarification on patient risk factors or logistical requirements is obtained from the relevant clinical area.
- How are you feeling in that moment? For instance, are you finding it difficult to adapt your initial planning strategy dynamically? Is it affecting your confidence in anticipating specific procedural needs for this condition?
What is the conclusion or outcome?
- Identify how you are working within your scope of practice. For example, are you successfully refining the plan to align with relevant protocols despite initial challenges? Or are you needing support because logistical requirements exceed departmental resource norms?
- What are you learning as a result of the unexpected development? For example, are you mastering a more efficient technique for vetting patient condition against equipment needs? Or gaining insight into the critical details required in clinical history for robust planning?
On action
What happened?
- Begin by summarising the key steps you took when planning and preparing for long term monitoring for the specific condition(s) you focused on.
- Consider specific actions or interactions that felt important during the planning process.
- What resources, guidelines, or protocols did you utilise during the planning?
- Did anything feel surprising or different from what you anticipated during the planning stage?
- Include any moments where you had to adapt your plan as the process unfolded (reflect-in-action).
How has this experience contributed to your developing practice?
- What learning can you take from this experience regarding planning and preparation requirements for long term monitoring for epileptic conditions or epilepsy imitators? What strengths did you demonstrate, or what skills and/or knowledge gaps were evident?
- Compare this planning experience against previous engagement with similar activities. Were any previous identified actions for development achieved? Has your practice improved?
- Identify any challenges you experienced during the planning 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 the activity. Did you need to seek advice or clarification? Were you able to ensure you were planning according to relevant guidelines and protocols?
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 regarding planning and preparing for long term monitoring, including from any feedback you have received.
- What will you do differently next time you plan this type of monitoring?
- Has anything changed in terms of what you would do if you were faced with a similar planning situation again?
Do you need to practise any aspect of planning or consult specific guidelines/protocols further?
Beyond action
Have you revisited the experiences?
- Have you reviewed your past reflections on planning and preparing for long-term monitoring studies, particularly for different patient presentations of epileptic conditions and epilepsy imitators?
- What specific actions for improvement did you identify in previous planning reflections for these types of studies?
- Have you since completed these identified actions in your planning process for long-term monitoring? Are you ready to demonstrate this new learning in your planning practice?
- Has discussing your approaches to planning long-term monitoring with peers or colleagues changed your view of your past experiences or planning strategies?
How have these experiences impacted upon current practice?
- How does revisiting past planning experiences for long-term monitoring help you prepare for observed assessments, such as Direct Observations of Practical Skills (DOPS) or Observed Communication Events (OCEs), related to planning and preparing for neurophysiological procedures?
- How has your ability to plan and prepare for long-term monitoring studies for epileptic conditions and epilepsy imitators developed and evolved over time, considering various patient needs and logistical considerations?
- Has revisiting past experiences helped you better recognise when planning for a specific long-term monitoring patient might be beyond your current scope of practice and when you need to seek advice or clarification?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 1 |
Outcome
Plan, prepare and perform long term EEG recordings in home-based settings and on the ward. |
| # 2 |
Outcome
Practice according to relevant guidelines and protocols. |