Acute Care Training for navy medical staff

Capt Brown and his team, MCpl Cape and Cpl Smith, assess a patient with possible SARS-CoV-2 symptoms. The team is wearing full Personal Protective Equipment. The combination of a live role player and simulated casualty (mannequin) was used for the training scenarios. The team questioned and examined the role player and then performed required interventions on the mannequin.

Peter Mallett
Staff Writer
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Medical staff aboard Pacific Fleet warships are improving their readiness to handle life-and-death emergencies at sea.

Three Physician Assistants and six Medical Technicians recently completed a three-day Acute Care Team Training, Aug. 25 to 28 at Albert Head Training Facility. Students were the first wave of Esquimalt-based medical staff to complete the training with additional coursing scheduled for later this year. Course organizers say instruction focused on enhancing the skill set and knowledge of ship’s medical teams and their ability to operate successfully in a navy-specific environment.

Captain Irene Doucette of Canadian Forces Health Services (Pacific), a Coastal Forces Physician Assistant, coordinated the event and also acted as an in-class mentor for the students. She says the rationale behind the coursing is to fill an important gap, in that land-based units of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have received similar training for several years but until now did not address the various demands of at-sea operations.

“Being on board a ship with a critically ill or injured patient is a very unique and demanding situation,” she said. “Our ships sail in all weather conditions, often with prolonged evacuation times that could last days depending on a ship’s location.”

They trained in a simulated environment with simulated patients, but Capt Doucette said the supplies and medication used by students were the same ones available on a ship. 

Students were divided into two teams with their skills put to the test dealing with scenarios that included traumatic injuries and medical emergencies.

“Students were evaluated on their medical skill in evaluating the patient, the medical interventions they performed, and the ongoing plan for patient care,” said Capt Doucette.

The course was delivered by Physicians, Critical Care Nursing Officers, Physician Assistants, and Medical Technicians from the Fleet Support Medical Unit, 1 Canadian Field Hospital, and the Canadian Forces Trauma Training Centre (West) of Vancouver.

Physical distancing and health protection were in place throughout the course, which Capt Doucette said presented a separate challenge to students in delivering high-quality medical care in a pandemic environment.

“Some of the scenarios also included simulated patients with SARS COVID-19-like symptoms with students being challenged to work in full Personal Protective Equipment,” said Capt Doucette.

Aside from scenario-based learning, students also participated in several skills labs where they practised or learned new skills such as wound care, IV medication preparation, using ventilators, and doing chest decompression.

Upon completion of the course, students were presented with a certificate from the new Regional Surgeon, LCol Andrew Currie, and Pacific Fleet Surgeon, LCdr Mitchell Drake. Students were also credited with Continuing Professional Education Credits for the course.

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