Training activity information
Details
Perform routine ultrasound QA inspection
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
- Local/national guidance
- Reporting faults/issues
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 effectively performing a routine ultrasound QA inspection.
- Consider how the learning outcomes apply, specifically in relation to performing quality assurance practices.
- Discuss with your training officer to gain clarity of what is expected of you in relation to the acceptable standards for QA outcomes or the protocol for documenting equipment performance checks.
What is your prior experience of this activity?
- Think about what you already know about ultrasound quality assurance (QA) or reviewing technical performance data.
- Consider possible challenges you might face during the activity, such as identifying complex equipment issues or interpreting unexpected results from a phantom study.
- 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 the QA inspection reveals a major functional failure of the transducer or an unexpected deviation in the output parameters.
- Acknowledge how you feel about embarking on this routine ultrasound QA inspection.
What do you anticipate you will learn from the experience?
- Consider the specific skills you want to develop, such as interpreting QA reports or calibrating the system based on QA results.
- Identify the specific insights you hope to gain into the required frequency and standards for QA inspection according to local/national guidelines.
What additional considerations do you need to make?
- Consult actions identified following previous experiences of checking equipment performance or calibration.
- Identify important information you need to consider before embarking on the activity, such as reviewing the academic content on quality assurance and safety of diagnostic ultrasound and safe scanning.
In action
Is anything unexpected occurring?
- Are you noticing anything surprising or different from what you anticipate whilst performing the routine ultrasound QA inspection?
- Are you encountering situations such as:
- The phantom measurements for depth penetration or lateral resolution deviate significantly from the expected range, suggesting an unexpected equipment performance issue?
- Specific safety checks reveal a functional failure with the transducer or electrical stimulator that was not anticipated in the pre-inspection plan?
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 verifying the QA parameters or troubleshooting the electrical supply?
- Consider the steps you are taking in the moment, such as:
- Immediately documenting an out-of-spec parameter reading and cross-referencing against the manufacturer’s expected tolerance range.
- Halting the inspection process to consult the departmental maintenance log or safety guideline to resolve a newly identified equipment safety concern.
- How are you feeling in that moment? For instance, are you finding it difficult to remain objective when the QA results are highly confusing? Is it affecting your confidence in ensuring the equipment meets safety standards?
What is the conclusion or outcome?
- Identify how you are working within your scope of practice. For example, are you successfully troubleshooting minor electrical interference by adjusting ground leads yourself? Or are you needing support because the unexpected phantom results suggest a complex technical issue beyond routine QA adjustment?
- What are you learning as a result of the unexpected development? For example, are you mastering a more efficient technique for identifying QA documentation gaps? Or gaining insight into the criticality of specific electrical safety checks?
On action
What happened?
- Begin by summarising the key steps you took when performing the routine ultrasound QA inspection.
- Consider specific events, actions, or interactions which felt important, such as how you integrated resource checks into your inspection checklist, or how you ensured compliance with safety protocols during equipment setup.
- Include any ‘reflect-in-action’ moments where you had to adapt to the situation as it unfolded, for instance, immediately halting the inspection to consult the manufacturer’s documentation when faced with an unexpected safety concern regarding the transducer.
- How did you feel during this experience, e.g., did you feel stressed by the logistical challenge or confident in your knowledge of quality assurance guidelines?
How has this experience contributed to your developing practice?
- Identify what learning you can take from this experience regarding QA procedures. What strengths did you demonstrate, e.g., meticulous adherence to the preparation checklist or the ability to identify complex equipment issues?
- What skills and/or knowledge gaps were evident, e.g., unfamiliarity with the specific protocol for documenting electrical supply checks or interpreting unexpected phantom results?
- Compare this experience against previous engagement with similar activities – were any previously identified actions for development achieved? Has your practice improved in effectively identifying or resolving equipment issues during QA?
- Identify any challenges you experienced, such as needing to seek advice or clarification on scope of practice regarding whether a functional failure required immediate escalation outside routine QA standards, and how you reacted to this.
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 efficiency and compliance of your QA inspection process.
- What will you do differently next time you approach a QA inspection, for instance, by proactively conducting a technical check of all necessary monitoring equipment before starting the plan?
- Do you need to practise any aspect of the activity further, such as reviewing departmental protocols for documenting equipment performance checks or key learning outcomes related to performing quality assurance in practice?
Beyond action
Have you revisited previous experiences?
- How have your subsequent experiences of performing routine ultrasound QA inspections 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 inspection revealed a subtle but persistent deviation in performance that was initially overlooked forced you to re-evaluate the meticulousness of your pre-planning checklist and initial data validation during your first attempt at this training activity.
- Considering what you understand about ultrasound QA, performance metrics, and safety standards 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 QA inspection process based on further learning and experiences? For example, how you proactively implemented the review of the manufacturer’s specific tolerance ranges for output parameters to ensure accurate assessment against expected standards.
- Has discussing complex equipment issues or the protocol for documenting equipment performance checks 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 time when a technical failure led to unnecessary clinical delay refined your understanding of the critical nature of meticulous resource verification during the inspection.
How have these experiences impacted upon current practice?
- How has the learning from this initial training activity, in combination with subsequent QA inspection experiences, contributed to your overall confidence and ability in performing routine ultrasound QA inspections and ensuring technical compliance, particularly in preparing for assessments like DOPS or OCEs? For example, how your accumulated ability in meticulously reviewing technical data and identifying out-of-spec parameters now enables you to confidently discuss the importance of ultrasound safety and QA during an OCE assessment.
- How has reflecting back on this specific training activity, combined with everything you’ve learned since, shaped your current approach to ultrasound quality assurance? 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 immediately when interpreting complex technical deviations that may necessitate equipment replacement, recognising this falls outside routine QA inspection scope.
- Looking holistically at your training journey, how has this initial routine ultrasound QA inspection experience, revisited with your current perspective, contributed to your development in meeting the learning outcomes related to performing quality assurance in practice? For example, how this foundational experience has supported your development in meeting the learning outcome related to performing quality assurance in practice.
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 4 |
Outcome
Perform quality assurance in Vascular Science practice. |