Overview
Initiative type
Education and Training
Status
Deliver
Published
02 March 2019
Summary
The Rural Perioperative Team Training Program is a scenario-based education and training initiative that develops both technical and non-technical skills, with a strong focus on teamwork, communication, and team culture. The program is an initiative of the Statewide Anaesthesia and Perioperative Care Clinical Network (SWAPNet) and is sponsored by Clinical Excellence Queensland.
Implementation sites
As at 30 June 2025, the training program had been delivered 45 times in the operating theatres at rural sites across Queensland including Proserpine, Longreach, Emerald, Biloela, Innisfail, Atherton, Mareeba, Kingaroy, Dalby Gladstone, Warwick, Stanthorpe, Goondiwindi, Roma, St George, Charleville, Thursday Island, Cooktown, Mount Isa, Beaudesert, Ayr, Ingham, Weipa and initially on one occasion at Bundaberg.
Partnerships
Clinical Skills Development Service and Queensland Surgical Advisory Committee
Aim
The Rural Perioperative Team Training Program is a multifaceted, multidisciplinary team training program that has been developed to support clinicians to deliver and maintain safe, sustainable service delivery in rural and remote Queensland.
Outcomes
The Rural Perioperative Team Training Program aims to promote:
- Improved patient safety / patient outcomes
- Improved performance
- Better understanding and appreciation of individual roles and responsibilities
- Improved communication and culture
- Improved staff satisfaction
- Delivery of high-quality healthcare
Background
The correlation between education and training and the delivery of safe, sustainable patient care is well recognised in the literature.
Simulation based multidisciplinary team training aims to improve team interaction (e.g. communication and coordination) in a systematic manner to improve patient safety/outcomes and reduce the risk of patient harm.
In rural and remote facilities, generalist anaesthetists provide anaesthesia, often practicing alone and working in unfamiliar environments (eg. maternity wards) with staff who are unfamiliar with perioperative practice.
Nurses in these locations are also required to be ‘generalists’ practicing safely across a broad range of skill sets and varied medical and surgical specialties with limited access to education and training. Achieving and maintaining compliance with Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetist (ANZCA) PS08 is a significant challenge.
Multidisciplinary team training for rural and remote Queensland was identified as a priority as far back as the 2017 SWAPNET forum. It follows on from the delivery of standardised anaesthetic equipment to 30 rural facilities and the development of the Rural Generalist Anaesthetic Introductory Program in 2013/14 and the review and development of the Transition Support Program - Perioperative for Registered Nurses in 2017 and Enrolled Nursed in 2018.
Methods
Training program developed based on nine scenarios identified as greatest need by rural sites across Queensland.
The training scenarios (four 'core' based on the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) emergency response activities) and five 'elective' include can't intubate/can't oxygenate; cardiac arrest; management of haemorrhage; management of anaphylaxis; general anaesthetic for abdominal emergency surgery; management of sedation; local anaesthetic toxicity; management of malignant hyperthermia and trauma. Scenarios are specifically tailored to reflect local practice at each site.
The two-day training program consists of teamwork theory, skill development sessions and six crisis management scenarios and is delivered by a faculty team consisting of an anaesthetist, surgeon and perioperative nurse, supported by the SWAPNet Coordinator (facilitator) and Clinical Skills Development Service (CSDS) Simulation Coordinator.
Discussion and results
- As of June 2025, 24 rural sites across Queensland have participated in training on more than one occasion.
- Debriefing training provided to faculty members at the Clinical Skills Development Service annually or as required.
- Evaluation results continuously reviewed and program modified to reflect feedback as required (continuous improvement process).
- It has been established across multidisciplinary faculties.
Evaluation includes:
An evaluation process is conducted at the end of each delivery. Feedback to date has been overwhelmingly positive. Participants are provided with a certificate of attendance and the facility is provided with an overview delivery report outlining attendance, points of discussion and recommended opportunities for improvement.
Lessons learnt
- Developing multidisciplinary education and training programs for clinicians is particularly complex.
- Scanning the environment to identify current training programs and ensuring consistency of training content is vital.
- Delivering training programs that are relevant and specifically designed to reflect functionality and practice at individual sites and in the local environments maximises opportunities for participation, learning, reflection and sustainability.
References
- Rural Generalist Anaesthetics Introductory Program
- Transition Support Program – Perioperative
- Rural Health Continuing Education, Safer Australian Surgical Teamwork
- SWAPNet Standardised Anaesthetic Equipment Program
Resources
Public resources
Teamwork and Crisis Resource Management Principles [PDF 800.71 KB]
Rural Perioperative Team Training Program Overview [PDF 674.94 KB]