AG ETAT Training

After a three-year break, new and old ETAT+ Germany working group members who have not had the chance yet to be part of an “ETAT IC” in the past, asked us to organise another train-the-trainer course with ETAT related content. We are happy that a third ETAT+ IC could successfully take place end of May 2024 in Münster.

This three-day course was conducted with an international group of 13 participants (two from the Netherlands, one from Italy), four international instructors (two from UK and two from Switzerland) and one local course organiser.

The age ranged from 30-70+ years representing a variety of different levels of working experience (e.g. four consultants; some > 5 years of working experience in LMICs). Since our first pilot course in 2019 the UK ETAT team supports the German ETAT+ working group with very experienced instructors, making this event repetitively effective, educational, and inspiring. Our Swiss instructor team with longstanding EPALS/NLS instructor experience as well as ETAT experience in LMICs were a fantastic combination.

Course Objectives and Structure

In general, the goal of the ETAT+ Instructor Course is to give former ETAT+ course participants with instructor potential deeper insight into adult learning and improve their simulation skills. The teaching methods from the European resuscitation council (ERC) and the course content from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) in the UK built the foundation of this “ETAT IC”. Participants were asked to prepare by reading the “pocket guide to teaching for clinical instructors” and additional course material.

The strength of this course is small group work with lots of practical sessions, where participants can get equipment familiarisation and individual feedback on mini-lectures, mini-simulations, skills stations with the four-step-approach, facilitating small group work as well as simulation assessment. Additionally, there was peer support and feedback in mentor groups. On the last day we had a new addition compared to our last courses which we called “marketplace”, a session where participants got the chance to repeat one practical from the last courses. To finish this course, there was a panel discussion about implementing trainings in low resource settings and other cultures. With this background information it should be possible to teach ETAT+ (as well as other simulation trainings) in different countries and cultures even more effectively.

Feedback and Highlights

The overall feedback was very good (mainly good-excellent). The good atmosphere created a safe space for the participants to receive professional feedback with room for improvement. The possibility for repetition was emphasised as very important by the participants. It was wonderful to see the fast progress in teaching skills from day to day. All participants enjoyed the chance to train under supervision of experienced trainers as well as exchanging ideas with one another.

Participant Testimonials

What was especially good about this instructor course?

• “The fusion of lessons and practicals. The extra experience brought from the faculty enriched it so much, and the common interests and energy of the participants.”
• “Good teaching atmosphere, very enthusiastic teachers and learners. It was very nice to have so much time in the small groups to practice and discuss.”

Social and Networking Activities

In total, this course was a great success! Combining the course programme with social events (African Jazz concert on Friday night, Dinner at Saturday night) lead to a fantastic time all together where everyone could benefit from each other! This is great networking! This is the future of great instructors who can spread the word of ETAT around the globe and improve simulation training wherever they go (> 80% of the participants have already plans to go abroad of whom > 50% have had experiences as an instructor before this course)!

Acknowledgements

Thanks to everyone who took part in the organization, participation, and teaching!

Barbara Zimmer (course organiser) & Gudrun Jäger (course director) for the German ETAT+ Team

We`re happy to announce that we could organize our second ETAT+ Instructor Course despite several challenges. Finally, we reached out to hold a three days couse in Hamburg with an international group of participants as well as instructors from August 27th – 29th 2021. After a first pilot course in 2019, which we conducted in Hannover with great support from the UK ETAT team, we planned to perform a course by a mixed instructor team including the German ETAT+ team, UK ETAT team as well as very experienced instructors from the ERC and American heart association (EPALS trainer from Germany, Switzerland as well as the Netherlands).

The goal of the ETAT+ Instructor Course is to teach and enable former ETAT+ course participants who showed instructor potential the possibility to get a deeper insight into adult learning and how to perform it efficiently. The foundation of this instructor course were the teaching methods from the European resuscitation council (ERC) and the course content from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) in UK. A special part of the agenda were group discussions about challenges and important points related to implementing trainings in low resource settings and other cultures. With this background information it should be possible to teach ETAT+ (as well as other simulation trainings) in different countries and cultures even more effectively.

We were lucky that our international instructor team could travel over three country borders from UK, Germany and Switzerland despite the Sars-Cov-2-pandemic restrictions. And even our participants came from different European countries like the Netherlands, Ukraine and Germany. The course was held in the Wilhelmsstift Hospital in Hamburg with great support from the local team.

The three day training was very intense including a lot of practical trainings with personal feedback and room for improvement due to good repetition. It was wonderful to see the fast progress in teaching skills from day to day. All participants enjoyed the good atmosphere, the chance to train under supervision of experienced trainers as well as exchanging ideas with one another.

In total, this course was a great success and we had a fantastic time all together where everyone could benefit from another! This is great networking! This is the future of great instructors who can spread the word of ETAT around the globe!

Thanks to everyone who took part by organisation, participation and teaching!

Gudrun Jäger & Barbara Zimmer for the German ETAT+ Team & international instructors

Sponsors

We are grateful for having been sponsored by the

We did it! The fourth ETAT+ Germany course was conducted at the hospital „Wilhelmsstift“ in Hamburg October 23rd-25th 2020.  Luckily we were able to do so –  even under COVID-19-pandemic circumstances.

It was wonderful to teach an enthusiastic and energetic group of participants. Our hands-on-course was done under strict hygiene restrictions: We kept distance, washed hands regularly, wore masks at all times, cleaned our materials after each session and ventilated the room almost continously. This meant that we all wore scarfs and wooly hats while rescucitating our dolls.

It is great to see how important the ETAT+ content is for everyone attending the course, especially the participants, who had plans to work abroad straight after the course.

Quick facts:

• 15 enthusiastic international participants (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
• 6 energetic, motivated instructors
• 1 well-prepared, calm course director
• 3 days of hands-on, thrilling simulation training
• interactive video-lectures from instructors from the UK & the south of Germany
• Video-greetings from different ETAT+ instructors around the globe

This course was pragmatic, energetic, safe & so much fun! We hope to continue soon to spread the word of ETAT+ and get to know even more interesting people who want to improve international child health!

Thanks to everyone who made this course possible!

If you are interested in attending the next course please keep yourself updated using this website. We will publish the next course dates soon.

Stay safe! The ETAT+ Germany team