Clinical Teacher in the Emergency Department: How Does It Benefit Emergency Medicine Trainees?

Balancing training needs and service provision is a challenge in Emergency Departments (EDs). We implemented an ED Clinical Teacher (EDCT) role to provide bedside teaching for our trainees. Our objective was to establish in which domains of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine training curriculum benefit was delivered.

An EDCT shift was introduced in February 2024. EDCTs were expected to perform a Work-place Based Assessment (WBA) each shift but no further guidance was provided. Clinicians performed the role as they deemed appropriate. Following each shift, a feedback form was completed referencing domains of the training curriculum in which the EDCT felt they delivered benefit. Free text supported the feedback.

18/27 feedback forms were completed over a 5-month period. Training was most beneficial to the domains of 'Medical Expertise' (89% of shifts) and 'Prioritisation and Decision Making' (72%). All eight curriculum domains benefitted from the EDCT role. On a scale of 1-7 the benefit of the shift to the trainees was rated 5.39, with 78% of shifts rated as 5 or above (p = < 0.001). A Mini CEX, DOPS and communication WBA were performed during 72%, 56% and 17% of shifts, respectively. In total 24 Mini CEXs, 11 DOPS and 3 communication WBAs were performed.

Participating ED physicians felt that a designated EDCT role benefits trainees in all domains of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine training program and provides an opportunity to perform workplace-based assessments.