Step 3 (1 hour):
Read through the Competencies that will be acquired throughout modules: these various competencies will be learned throughout the curriculum. It is suggested you frequently go back to these to identify areas that you need to improve on.
- Critical Care Abdominal Ultrasound Competencies
- Critical Care Basic Echocardiogram Ultrasound Competencies
- Critical Care Pleural Ultrasound Competencies
- Critical Care Vascular-Procedural Ultrasound Competencies
Read through Review of Format of Curriculum
Didactic Lecture:
This format’s purpose is to expose trainee to basic information related to ultrasound application being studied. There will be some image and clip review throughout the lecture, but it is more informational in nature. All the lectures are meant to be about 20 minutes or less of listening material, but it is suggested you review some of the references on your own time during the module to improve your knowledge base.
Bedside Video:
This format’s purpose is to give a visual learning process to basic probe selection, patient body part to be imaged, and basic information on normal and abnormal elements in the view. These are all 5 minute or less so they can be utilized at the bedside. Each of the videos focus on particular aspects that are important for that ultrasound application. It is suggested as you continue to do ultrasounds early in your learning process that you re-watch many of these videos before you perform them on your patients.
Active Learning:
This part of the curriculum exposes the trainee to hands on training process. It generally involves basic skills for that particular application, with the goal being to get familiar with the ultrasound machine, input of data, labeling, and obtaining images. Make sure to put your name in the user or operator section as instructed in the Basics Module to start collecting images for your portfolio. These will be used as part of your curriculum completion process.
Sample Video Clips:
Sample normal and abnormal video clips with descriptions. This can be viewed in a rapid fire approach to gain lots of images for memory so that when you continue your active learning and hands on approach throughout the year, you have a data base you can recall from your memory of normal and abnormal images.
Reading Material:
Recent journal articles related to didactic module, this is an important part of the curriculum to take extra time, since you will gain additional knowledge not presented in other sections of this curriculum. These articles are all recent and relevant to the particular module. They will help close the gap in knowledge between the didactic lectures and bedside videos.
Self Learning Tests:
These tests are completed at the start of the module and the end of the module. Throughout the modules, you should obtain most of the information needed to pass these self learning tests. Each of the sections are 5 questions and the answers will be displayed at the end of the completion of each section.
Observation Forms:
These are completed throughout the curriculum and must be done with experienced supervisors. In most of the UF Health units, there are ‘Ultrasound Trained’ or “Ultrasound Champions” faculty that can assist with completion of these forms. They are allowed to help you through the process, but should minimize taking the probe away from you! The goal of this section is for the instructor to help identify areas of improvement in your acquisition skills, as well as test your knowledge base in a hands on format.
Speed Skills:
This part of the curriculum is designed to improve your bedside skills of obtaining images. In critical care and emergency ultrasound, many times ultrasound images must be obtained in real time as a patient is actively hypotensive or hypoxic. Many times other tasks must be completed (IV access, intubation, etc), and so you must improve your speed of acquisition in order to be a complete resuscitation ultrasound operator!
Case Scenarios:
This part of the module should combine all the various parts, such as knowledge base, ultrasound image interpretation, critical thinking skills, and patient care testing. The trainee should learn how to use ultrasound to help make decisions on critically ill patients. It is suggested you review other parts of the the module or independent online material or reading references in order to solidify your knowledge base regarding the case and how ultrasound was used to help make decisions. Once you go through many of these, it should be easier to identify patients in your normal practice that you can use ultrasound for to help improve patient care