The Fundamentals of Critical Care Support: local experience and a look into the future

Fundamentals of Critical Care Support (FCCS) is an educational course offered by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (USA) to provide and augment the basic knowledge for individuals managing critically ill patients. More than 10,000 clinicians every year throughout the world attend FCCS courses, preparing non-intensivists to manage critically ill patients for the first 24 h until a consultation can be secured. The most important emphasis of the FCCS course is to learn the basic principles and the adaptation of multidisciplinary approaches to managing the critically ill. The curriculum consists of integrated lectures and skills stations helping to provide the knowledge and guidance in decision making. This article is an account of one institution's experience in offering this course for over 12 years.