Clinical Observers 2020-2021
We all have so much to learn from intensive care transfers—SPRINT looks after the sickest patients and undertakes critically ill and emergency transfers across the region.
We pride ourselves on providing optimal critical care therapy whilst on the move. You will have the opportunity to learn about transfer medicine, risk management and forward planning.
We start each shift at Lewisham Hospital where we pick up kit and check in with the transfer network. We run two ambulances each day, the AM team works 8:00-16:00 and then the PM team 14:00-22:00.
As an observer, you can shadow one of our teams (AM or PM), or “do the long day” from 8:00-22:00. We’ll make sure the AM ambulance hands you over to the PM team. We will only have one observer at a time, so you’ll get a jump seat in the back of the ambulance. Please be aware both shifts have the potential to finish very late.
Let us know you're keen to hop in!
Who is it for?
We have airway-trained registrars and ICU nurses in the back of our ambulances, so we welcome any of the following who would like to gain transfer experience as an observer:
- ICU nurses & Junior doctors learning to transfer
- Medical & Nursing Students
- Other AHPs with an interest in transfer medicine
you get what you put in...
Making your day with us a success
We had medical students helping us during the pandemic, and they were outrageously useful. Whilst the role is observer only (you cannot perform clinical interventions as you won’t be covered for indemnity) there are lots of ways to get stuck in including:
- Offering to call the sending unit when we’re on the way to make sure they’re ready
- Helping carry kit—this is a good chance to ask about why we chose it
- Getting the patient on the transfer monitor as soon as we’re on the unit
- Helping with patient transfers (be ready with gloves and appropriate PPE!)
- Taking the SPRINT transfer record and start filling it out, ask us anything you don’t know
- Offering to call ahead to ICU at the receiving hospital and make sure the bed is ready
- Wiping down all equipment once we’ve dropped the patient off
Things you can ask:
- What “level” patient is this? Why? In what way could they deteriorate?
- How do we keep people asleep? Is the patient breathing or ”triggering” or being ventilated?
- What would you do if…? If the ambulance got in a crash, if the oxygen ran out, you name it, we’ve probably thought about it
- What drugs do we carry and why did we choose to bring each one?
- What is in the big blue transfer bag?
- How did you decide to become a...? You will almost never get so much road trip time with doctors and nurses
The details
What to bring
- ID badge (someone always has door access to the right hospital!)
- Scrubs
- Trainers
- Coat for staying warm enough between transfers
- Lunch or at least a card to buy some
- Phone with charger/external battery
Where to go
Our teams meet in the “old bed bureau” at Lewisham Hospital. This is in the Orange Zone, 3rd floor, right before the doors to ICU. There are usually some portable X-ray machines sitting outside the office. Parking situation is dire at Lewisham, but lots of public transportation options to Catford, Lewisham, and Ladywell stations.
Who to look for
There should be an anaesthetics/ICU registrar and an ICU nurse checking the transfer bag and a paramedic crew from BEARS starting to bring kit down to the “trucks.”
We usually sit in the office until a job comes in. If we’re not there, try the ambulance bay outside A&E and look for the BEARS ambulances.
If you get lost or something goes wrong
Call the consultant coordinating at base: 0208126 5725