The national education and competence framework for assistant critical care practitioners.
This document describes:
- the role of an Assistant Critical Care Practitioner (level 4 on the NHS Career Framework)
- how the role should function within the critical care team
- the benefits of introducing the role in clinical practice
- a national framework of education and competence for the role within recognised standards of practice
This document has been compiled in conjunction with representatives from The British Association of Critical Care Nurses, The Intensive Care Society, The Intercollegiate Board for Training in Intensive Care Medicine and The Royal College of Nursing Critical Care Forum.
Excerpt from the Forward...
This framework builds on the work of the Changing Workforce Programme development sites that tested the role in clinical practice, the National Practitioner Programme Critical Care Board, the Education and Competence Advisory Party, higher education institutions (HEIs) and clinical colleagues drawn from a range of backgrounds, with a specific interest in critical care development.
Many critical care units have introduced new roles or have extended the scope of practice of nurses, technicians, physiotherapists and clinical pharmacists. These developments have been in response to variations in recruitment and retention patterns, the impact of the Working Time Directive, increasing complexity of care pathways and technology, and maximising opportunities to prevent or reduce the risk of critical illness in medical and surgical patients in general ward areas.
The local focus in role development has resulted in wide variations in the scope of professional practice and variations in education and training to support role extension and expansion, with no mechanism to recognise the transferability of such roles. The result is potential confusion for patients and public and variable standards of practice.
Download the full document from Department of Health. (pdf)
