Intensive-care unit

Target Audience

Medical staff, including physicians and nurses working in Intensive Care Units, who are responsible for transferring critically ill patients. The training course is also intended for physicians from other departments who perform shifts in the ICU.

Course Objectives

To learn and apply procedures for transferring patients from the ICU to other hospital departments, including procedures for preparing the patient, the actual transfer and returning the patient to the ICU, in the safest and most professional manner possible, using simulations of the ICU and the hospital. Emphasis is placed on communication and relaying information between staff members during the transfer, including practice of ISBAR principles.

Course Description

The course is offered for teams that work together in the ICU, including nursing and medical staff at various professional levels who perform shiftwork in the ICU.

Practice is done in small groups in an ICU setting (1 physician + 3 nurses)

Two teams practice during each training day, one after the other, for a total of 6 nurses and two physicians on each day.

The Course Includes

Practice preparing patients for transfer, where the team prepares the patient and all necessary equipment, under the active guidance of the course leader.
Practice transferring patients in simulated scenarios, starting with removal from the ICU, transfer to a bed in the imaging unit, and return to the ICU.

The simulated scenarios are videotaped and the teams are evaluated based on observation of the videos. Trainees participate as both treating staff and observers.

The evaluation is based on insights gained by the participants themselves, under the guidance of the course leader. Evaluation focuses on the management of the team members, how the team worked together, delegation of responsibilities, communication and relaying of information between the team members during the transfer, and the application of SBAR tools for relaying information.