Developing a trauma care syllabus for intensive care nurses in the United Kingdom: A Delphi study

Background: Increased rates of mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU) following injury have been associated with a lack of trauma specific training. Despite this, training relevant to nurses is limited. Currently, little consideration has been given to understanding the potential training needs of ICU nurses in caring for critically injured patients. Objectives: The aim of this study was to construct a consensus syllabus of trauma care for registered nurses working in an intensive care setting. Design: A two round modified Delphi was conducted. Methods: Twenty-eight intensive care professionals participated in the study in 2014 in the United Kingdom. Data were analysed using content and descriptive statistics. Results: Round-1 generated 343 subjects. Following analysis these were categorised into 75 subjects and returned to the panel for rating. An 82% (23/28) response rate to round-2 identified high consensus (equal to or greater than 80%) in 55 subjects, which reflected the most severely injured patients needs. Conclusions: There is a requirement for specific training to prepare the ICU nurse for caring for the critically injured patient. This survey presents a potential core syllabus in trauma care and should be considered by educators to develop a meaningful programme of trauma education for ICU nurses. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Implications for Clinical Practice Identifying and meeting trauma education requirements for ICU nurses is essential to improve patient care and outcomes. Consensus opinion suggests that the most important syllabus content should match the needs of the highest acuity, most severely injured patients. Trauma courses should contain specific injury-related content, rather than generic ICU principles covered in routine learning beyond registration courses. The findings of this study provide a platform for further discussion and curriculum development involving ICU national nursing bodies, education providers and key clinical stakeholders.