QEII Hospital Registered Nurse in Anaesthetics, David Reddrop has been at QEII for only a few months and is already catching the attention of colleagues for his dedication and method of training staff about the intricacies of the anaesthetic equipment in the theatre complex.
An Anaesthetic Nurse with 20 years’ experience, David says clinical context and understanding why you are doing what you are doing is the focus of his approach when educating trainees.
“The result of this for the person you are teaching is that they then connect with the rationale and the purpose of the task, that it is not meaningless, it is important and can affect the patient’s outcome,” he said.
David’s penchant for training calls back to his early career in anaesthetic nursing and also commercial stints monitoring anaesthetic machine installations across Australia, which gave him the inside-out knowledge of the equipment that informs his technical training today.
“Equipment and procedures are always changing, so there’s so much to keep up with in the Anaesthetics specialty alone,” he said.
“Everyone likes to think they know everything, but you can't. In the complexity of healthcare, it is absolutely essential that if you don’t know, you seek the brains trust across the team for the benefit of patient safety.”
With correct usage and protocols front of mind, David encourages his trainees to take a logical and considered approach to learning, with safety and patient outcomes being the first priority.
“If we look at the anaesthetic machine check, for example, it’s important to use that machine in the way it is designed to be used and that affects patient care. The flow-on benefits are increased competency, and with increased understanding about the machine comes the knowledge to improve troubleshooting,” he said.
Reflecting on two decades in the field, David says the degree of preparation and patient knowledge required of Anaesthetic Nurses stands them apart as a unique key player both inside and outside the operating theatre.
“Anaesthetics links outside theatre, to inside theatre given the extensive preparation for each patient and their unique risks,” he said.
“I remember someone saying a really long time ago, being an anaesthetic nurse is a bit like being a marine – you’re the first in and the last out. That is true in that you are there before the scrub staff because you have to prepare so much ahead of surgery.
“You need to have your patient information ready, your anaesthetic machine checked, and all your protocols and guidelines checked early and effectively because the patient will arrive in no time. Anticipation is an important learning for any Anaesthetic Nurse as all lists have different requirements and it takes time to work that out,” he said.
While he navigates a full roster between his clinical work and training, David takes pride in imparting his wealth of knowledge to the next generation of specialists during a critical time in their early careers.
“Training students in anaesthetic nursing is such a valuable opportunity to show that you are approachable and that they can come to you for advice or knowledge. I think it is really important that trainees have a positive experience and connect with the specialty and the hospital to find their home in nursing,” he said.
David’s commitment to his practice and engaging teaching style earned him the QEII Individual Values Award in September.