Evaluation of the Physician Assistant Anaesthesia Practitioner Project

1
Evaluation of the Physician Assistant
(Anaesthesia) Practitioner Project

• Early Interim Findings
• Prof. Morag A. Gray (Project Director)
• Dr. Jayne Donaldson
• Sue Hendry
• Dr. Dermot McKeown
• Prof. Julie Scholes
• Fiona Smith
• Lucie Page

2
Aims of the project

• To evaluate the education of Anaesthesia
  Practitioner students from selection to
  graduation
• To evaluate the impact and perceived impact of
  implementing this new role on existing members of
  the theatre team, the public and wider staff
  within the NHS in Scotland

3
Objectives of the Project

• Consider the selection process of science
  graduates and health professionals and its
  effectiveness, particularly in relation to
  fitness to practice and critical incident
  monitoring
• Consider the effectiveness of educational support
  delivered by key clinicians and others working in
  the anaesthesia team to deliver the local aspects
  of training
• Consider feedback from student Anaesthesia
  Practitioners and other stakeholders
• Evaluate the course including theory and practice
• Consider clinical governance issues including
  aspects such as patient safety
• Examine the perceptions of the theatre team, the
  public and the wider NHS in Scotland

4
Research approach

• This educational evaluation has three main
  components to
• the project's activities
• Documentary Analysis (objectives 1, 4)
• Interviews (objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
• Consultation with wider NHS in Scotland
  (objective 6)

5
Demographic Details
6
Early Interim Findings

• Delays experienced
• Early themes only not an indication of themes
  for the final summative report
• Formative Feedback for Course Team

7
Coping with Academic Aspects

• Overall enjoyable and relevant
• Concerns voiced regarding
• Self-directedness of course
• Am I doing the right thing and enough of it?
• Spiral nature of the curriculum
• WebCT and Macromedia Breeze
• Pacing of modules
• I have hit a wall emotionally because of all
  the work

8
Coping with Clinical Aspects

• Its great. I really love it
• Staff generally helpful and supportive
• Clinical Tutors
• Driving the learning
• Competing for space
• Variability in provision of feedback
• Role transition
• Clinical Log-book

9
Simulator training

• Fantastic experience one of the most valuable
  learning experiences I have ever had.

10
Relationships with Theatre Staff

• Its a roller coaster
• Perceived lack of understanding of the PAA role

11
Student Support

• Requests for more structured support both at
  University and in Clinical Practice
• Peer support

12
Headlines

• Students realise that there are teething problems
  with any new course and know that things will be
  ironed out for new cohort
• Most of the students have thought about leaving
  the course because of job-security issues however
  express that they will continue to finish
• There needs to be more consistency in terms of
  Student/Clinical Tutor contact time
• Student concerns re role definition and how it is
  perceived coupled with lack of overt promotion of
  the value of the role.
• The concerns expressed by students reflect the
  highly complex and new role that they are in the
  midst of learning