A Journey Through Transfer Medicine (FutureLearn)

A Journey Through Transfer Medicine (FutureLearn)

Understanding the complexity and diversity of transfer medicine for critically ill patients across a global landscape. Discover how to keep critically ill patients safe during transfer. Across the world, thousands of critically ill patients are transferred within hospitals and between locations, yet there is little formal training available.

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This novel, interactive course is designed to address this gap. You will develop skills and knowledge around transferring critically ill patients across road, air and remote environments. Working with pilots, we have included non-technical skills training, drawing parallels with aviation, and relating these back to medicine. We will explore transfer medicine in specialised settings and hear experts on preparing for these.
Whatever your background, you will learn to plan and execute transfers of critically ill patients safely.

Syllabus

Week 1: Introduction To Transfer Medicine
Week 2: A Practical Guide To Transfers
Week 3: Equipment, Decision Making & Aeromedical Transfers
Week 4: Specialist & Extreme Transfers

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore the scope of transfer medicine practice and understand the risks involved in transferring critically unwell patients
  • Summarise the physiological principles, human factors and relevant guidelines required to optimise a patient, transfer them safely and handle critical incidents
  • Assess the importance of equipment and different modes of transport in executing a safe transfer
  • Develop an understanding of specialist, unusual and remote situations and specific patient groups who need safe critical transfer

Who is the course for?
This course is designed for all healthcare professionals with an interest in the transfer of critically ill patients.
This includes nurses, paramedics, practitioners and doctors in anaesthesia, critical care, emergency medicine, prehospital medicine and various other disciplines, as well as students in these fields.

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