Critical Care Summit 2023

A brand-new event on the College's conference calendar, Critical Care Summit 2023 was hosted in Tweed Heads in May 2023. The Summit aimed at providing a targeted education and engagement for critical care practitioners including paramedics, nurses and emergency and retrieval physicians.

Through two days of case-based learning, attendees experienced multi-faceted and interactive presentations centred around complex patient care.

Summit theme: Contemporary care through collaboration

The Art of Low Fidelity Simulation

Simulation is a vital tool for all clinicians to facilitate education, and to develop clinical skills in a supportive and risk free environment. We all use simulation to help teach and train, but how well do you know how to actually facilitate a simulation? In this session, led by Dr Sam Bendall, the team will present some of the latest evidence and techniques to better improve your simulation experience, and to help you to better deliver simulation and practical based education. From mental rehearsal of clinical interventions to whiteboard scenarios, The Art of Low Fidelity Simulation will aim to show you have to deliver a simulation with minimal equipment.

Presented by:

• Dr Sam Bendall, Emergency Physician (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital) and Deputy Director MDOK, SLHD. Retrieval Specialist and Director of Education, CareFlight.State Retrieval Consultant, NSW Ambulance
• Hannah Latta, Critical Care Flight Paramedic, Wellington Free Ambulance and paramedic lecturer program lead, ultrasound, Auckland University of Technology.
• Sam Burton, MICA Paramedic, Ambulance Victoria
• Dr Emma West, Emergency Physician and Director of Emergency Medicine Training, The Royal Melbourne Hospital

Facilitation and Simulation assistance:

• Tim Andrews, MICA Paramedic, Ambulance Victoria and Teaching Associated, Monash University
• Dr Ben Meadley Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Monash and Operational Improvement Lead (MICA) & senior Intensive Care Flight Paramedic (MICA), Ambulance Victoria

Biographies:

Dr Sam Bendall - Dr. Sam Bendall is an Emergency Physician at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, a Retrieval Specialist with CareFlight and NSW Ambulance and a State Retrieval Consultant with NSW Ambulance. She is the National Director of Education for CareFlight, and is passionate about improving human factors knowledge and skills to grow performance and safety, including using simulation to improve critical decision making. She is also one of the Deputy Directors of the Sydney Local Health District MDOK program focusing on leadership and performance at an individual, team and organisational level to improve clinician wellbeing

Hannah Latta - Hannah is a Critical Care Flight Paramedic working in Wellington and a postgraduate university lecturer at AUT University, New Zealand. Hannah has extensive experience in the ambulance and emergency care sector and is passionate about learning and continuing education to ensure that patients receive the highest standard of care. Hannah is currently completing her doctoral studies and is investigating how ultrasound can be integrated into the resuscitation of patients who are in cardiac arrest. Her research aims to identify very ‘low flow’ states associated with pseudo-pulseless electrical activity. Hannah is a mum to Sam and enjoys adventures exploring the outdoors in her spare time.

Sam Burton - Sam Burton is an intensive care paramedic from regional Victoria with over a decade of in-hospital and prehospital experience. This perspective has led to Sam identifying ways to better improve patient care in a range of clinical applications. Sam has a strong focus on point of care ultrasound (POCUS) and has recently published research in this field. Sam has an ongoing commitment to the dissemination and sharing of knowledge from both his clinical and research practice. Sam has been involved in the development and delivery of numerous training programs to paramedics throughout Victoria and will bring a broad perspective to the stage.

Dr Emma West - Emma is an Emergency Physician with over 15 years experience working at Royal Melbourne Hospital. She is interested in training junior doctors achieve their potential in the field of emergency medicine. Emma has a passion for helping trainees who struggle to pass exams and spends time working with them to support them through the stressful time. Emma also loves training doctors to be confident and capable trauma team leaders. She attempts to demonstrate kindness and good communication as the core attributes to successful team leadership.