Skip to content Skip to main menu Skip to utility menu

Heartbeat: Advanced practitioners to bring enhanced skills to critical care

May 10, 2019

Five experienced critical care nurses have begun a new two year training programme to become advanced critical care practitioners (ACCP).

At present there are 100 fully trained ACCPs in the UK, with an expanding workforce. This is a brand new role for SWB, affiliated to the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM). ACCPs are part of the medical associate professionals (MAP). From a background of nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy or paramedicine with established critical care experience, an ACCP can:

  • Undertake an extensive assessment of the critically ill patient, including taking a history and completing a clinical examination
  • Perform or order diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
  • Prescribe medications as a non-medical prescriber
  • Develop and manage an acute management plan and pathway for the patient
  • Perform invasive interventions and other practical skills
  • Teach and educate patients, relatives and other members of the multi-professional team.

All trainees have completed or are undertaking Master’s level training with both academic and clinical learning outcomes. The new role resides within the critical care service. However, colleagues will meet the trainees as they work across different areas of the Trust, including A&E, surgery, medicine theatres, cardiology, radiology, microbiology and haematology to name a few. They will acquire valuable skills and broaden their knowledge to enhance the skills they bring back to their critical care roles.

The team is led by Dr Rupali Saluja, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthetics, FICM College Tutor and Rebecca O’Dwyer Lead for Critical Care and Deputy Group Director of Nursing for Surgery. Dr. Saluja says, “The purpose of ACCPs is to offer care that is centred on patients and their needs, as they work through their critical illness. Each ACCP will combine their transferable, existing skills with new clinical training to provide better quality care to critically ill patients, as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

“The trainees are excited about this opportunity, as it will enable them to meet colleagues from all disciplines who contribute to the pathway of critically ill patients.”

There are many justifications for the role. Nationally, the Centre for Workforce Intelligence has predicted a significant growth in demand for critical care services over the next 20 years with a 4-5 per cent increase in year on year activity. It’s also predicted that by 2023, double the amount of beds than what our organisation has now will be required for patients in intensive care.

Dr Saluja continues, “Other benefits of the role include improving and supporting the quality of training for junior doctors, as the role is centred on co-learning and adding a new perspective to the work of multi-disciplinary teams. Also, as medical teams tend to rotate, the ACCPs will facilitate continuity of care as a constant presence on the critical care unit.

“The training programme helps experienced nurses, pharmacists and paramedics to pursue an alternative route to career progression, helping them realise their aspirations and in turn, attracting motivated new professionals to the NHS.”

Sonia Cole, formally a senior sister in critical care shared, “We’re all really excited and looking forward to the challenges involved in our training. Our background as nurses means we consider patient cases from a medical and nursing perspective, ensuring holistic, person-centred care. We believe the co-learning opportunities between both ourselves and medical colleagues are immense.

“The whole team are excited about this journey and are looking forward to working with the wider Trust workforce, patients and visitors. We welcome the support of all colleagues and look forward to meeting them soon.”