Accident and emergency medicine specialist registrars’ perceptions of the ‘essential’ aspects of a training placement

Abstract

This study set out to identify the important aspects of training placements as perceived by specialist registrars (SpRs) in accident and emergency medicine (A&EM). These data were to be used to gain greater insight into the collective wishes of this group in order to inform the development of quality assurance systems. A self‐administered questionnaire was developed from repertory grid data and was used to identify what were the ‘essential’, ‘useful’ and ‘not needed’ aspects of A&EM training placements. The questionnaire covered ‘the job’, ‘the department’, ‘clinical experiences’, ‘support for learning’ and ‘training’. SpRs were also asked how frequently they wished certain activities to take place. The questionnaire was completed by 16 of the 17 A&EM SpRs (94%) training in the Northern Deanery. Of the 82 statements submitted to the SpRs, 40% (33) were marked as ‘essential’ by 75% or more of the registrars. Aspects classed as ‘essential’ by the highest number of SpRs were concerned with the recognition of their role as learners within a service environment and with how their learning was supported. SpRs felt it was essential to be integrated into the work team with a clear role that was understood to combine ‘education’ and service provision. Although there was consensus, the findings also showed the SpRs’ individuality in terms of their learning and support needs. The study illustrates the complexity of defining quality indicators for evaluating training processes in work placements and suggests that quality lies not just in the components of a system for managing education but also in the flexibility of its application and in aspects of the ‘learning culture’.

Meeting the non-clinical education and training needs of new consultants

“…3 A number of studies have disclosed anxieties among clinical tutors and specialist registrars (SpRs) over the quality of SpR training in terms of both clinical and nonclinical skills. [4][5][6][7] In particular, there have been complaints that the training is too rigid, too narrow, and too inflexible to address individual interests and non-clinical skills, focusing only on core content. 6 These complaints have been accompanied by fears that higher specialist training does not provide adequate preparation for a consultant post.…”

An Overview and Tutorial of the Repertory Grid Technique in Information Systems Research

“…A researcher using the RGT can gather information on important aspects of a particular domain that can inform questionnaire development. This approach has been suggested in education [Lambert et al 1997], social work [Hutchinson 1998], and health care research [Stewart et al 2003] and could be used to strengthen the validity of IS survey instruments.…”

Editorial

“…Two papers came from midwifery, Blaaka (2006) focusing on learning in a community of practice and Sookhoo & Biott (2002) on learning to cope with uncertainty in reporting the progress of labour when others are expecting definite advice. McKee (2002) describes a range of factors making hospitals a poor environment for the learning of junior doctors, especially those intending to become GPs; while the Stewart, Bregazzi & O’Halloran (2003) study of specialist registrars in Accident and Emergency medicine notes how they focus on formal learning and fail to recognize how much their progress depends on informal learning and attributes this to the assessment system. Fessey (2002b) describes the preponderance of informal learning by newly qualified nurses and how their commitment to the job affects their access to help from their seniors.…”