Physiotherapy EPA5
The novice physiotherapist will be able to complete a musculoskeletal assessment including range of movement, sensation and a strength assessment and determine the risk of developing physical morbidity.
The novice physiotherapist will be able to implement a rehabilitation plan meets the needs of the patient and their goals.
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EPA reference
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EPA overview information
- Required knowledge
Competencies Required:
- C3Framework Shared AHP Competencies
- C3Framework Core Competencies:
- Competency 1 Assessment
- Competency 5 Positioning and Rehabilitation
- Suggested reading
- NICE CG83: Rehabilitation after critical illness in adults (2009)
- The Chelsea Critical Care Physical Assessment Tool (CPAx): validation of an innovative new tool to measure physical morbidity in the general adult critical care population; an observational proof-of-concept pilot study. Physiotherapy - March 2013 (Vol. 99, Issue 1, Pages 33-41, DOI: 10.1016/j.physio.2012.01.003) E.J. Corner, H. Wood, C. Englebretsen, A. Thomas, R.L. Grant, D. Nikoletou, N. Soni
- Information to assess progression
- Clinical supervision
- Nonclinical supervision
- Notes Audit
- Basis for formal entrustment decisions
An entrustment decision should be made by an experienced critical care physiotherapist after observing this EPA completed on more than one patient.
Use the EPA Completion Template (PDF, 88KB) for this.
Self assessment | Senior assessment | |
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Safety | ||
Infection Prevention and Control: | ||
Able to demonstrate knowledge of general infection control prevention and control including hand hygiene, aprons, masks and aseptic non-touch technique | ||
Patient Emergency Management: | ||
Has completed Basic Life Support Training as per local trust policy | ||
Describes how they would summon help in an emergency and locate crash bells | ||
Describes how to call a medical emergency call via switch | ||
Describes own role and expected contribution in medical emergency eg. Basic Life Support, providing assistance to MDT as able | ||
Patient ID: | ||
Demonstrates positive patient identification and awareness of allergies | ||
Monitoring Vital Signs: | ||
Demonstrates how to monitor vital signs (Temp, HR, SpO2, RR, blood pressure, MAP) | ||
Interprets observations in an ICU setting, considering trends and normal ranges for all (Temp, HR, SpO2, RR, blood pressure) | ||
Able to troubleshoot difficulties with taking vital signs eg. poor trace on pulse oximeter, missing ECG leads, positional sensitivity of arterial line | ||
Awareness of who to escalate concerns to in relation to patient safety with recognition of different levels of urgency and reporting to different staff members dependent on situation | ||
Orientation: | ||
Can describe the bed numbering, storage location of safety equipment, location of offices and other key areas within the critical care unit | ||
Can describe the shift patterns and handover process of other MDT members | ||
Able to identify key MDT members by their role, including critical care nurses, nurse in charge, consultant on call | ||
Demonstrates how to locate the local protocols and guidelines relevant to own role | ||
Has an awareness of key ICU meetings relevant to role e.g. MDT meetings, handovers, safety briefings, teaching sessions. | ||
Can identify standard ICU bedspace equipment and location of equipment necessary for role | ||
Communication | ||
Communication with patient: | ||
Describe barriers to communication in ICU including those associated with PPE, illness and ICU interventions. | ||
Awareness of communication aids with patients to overcome communication barriers i.e. PPE + oral intubation | ||
Communication with family + friends: | ||
Describe the support services available to help liaise with family including family support nurses, PALS, psychology services as appropriate. | ||
Describe barriers to communication with family and methods to improve this | ||
Knows importance of confidentiality and consent to share information with friends and family | ||
Communication with colleagues: | ||
Awareness of peer support and psychological support | ||
Documentation | ||
Local IT Training: | ||
Demonstrates how to access and document in patient records using local IT systems | ||
Demonstrates how to view results and imaging on local IT systems | ||
Moving and Handling | ||
Awareness of Falls prevention and who to escalate to if concerned regarding falls risks | ||
Compliant with Manual Handling training as per local trust policy. | ||
Non-technical skills | ||
Teamwork: | ||
Demonstrate working in an MDT by building and maintaining relationships with other professions | ||
Aware of the roles and responsibilities of other members of the MDT | ||
Clarifies, accepts and executes tasks delegated by the team leader | ||
Explains the importance of highlighting safety issues / concerns to a member of your team in a prompt manner | ||
Uses appropriate level of assertiveness for the clinical situation | ||
Demonstrates a logical and systematic handover using local format | ||
Outline how to escalate and to whom if there are patient / safety concerns | ||
Identify and respond to patient / staff safety issues appropriately | ||
Clinical Assessment and Basic Life Support | ||
Airway: | ||
Demonstrate ways to open up airway using simple manoeuvres (inc. repositioning, head tilt chin lift, jaw thrust) | ||
Demonstrates how to deliver manual ventilation using two person bag-valve-mask (BVM) technique | ||
Recognise and escalate airway compromise in a tracheostomised patient | ||
Mouth care: | ||
Demonstrates how to perform and document oral hygiene | ||
Oxygen: | ||
Knows the types of oxygen delivery system and their limitations (including reservoir mask, simple face mask, venturi system and nasal cannulae) | ||
Demonstrates how to deliver oxygen urgently (including reservoir mask, simple face mask, venturi system and nasal cannulae) | ||
Describe how to escalate or de-escalate oxygen therapy in a step wise manner eg. nasal cannulae to face mask. | ||
Lines and attachments: | ||
Recognise different lines and their location relevant to local population (eg arterial lines, central line, vas-cath) | ||
Nutrition: | ||
Identify enteral feeding tube in situ, whether it is connected to feed and whether the feed pump is running | ||
Knows to discuss plans with nursing staff prior to moving or reposition a patient with NG feed running | ||
Aware of events which can displace feeding tubes and to escalate accordingly | ||
Describes how to check enteral feeding length and escalates if tube length has changed | ||
Describe how to recognise dysphagia and an escalation plan including referral to SLT | ||
Demonstrates how to assist patients with eating and drinking | ||
Have an awareness of modified diets or thickened fluids in line with SLT recommendations | ||
Delirium: | ||
Demonstrate how to categorise neurological status using the AVPU scoring | ||
Describe factors that may cause or contribute to delirium | ||
Describes how to recognise delirium | ||
Demonstrates how to complete a CAM-ICU score | ||
Demonstrates an understanding of non-pharmacological management of delirium | ||
Demonstrates knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act, when capacity assessment is indicated, how to assess capacity and when specialist communication support is required eg. referral to SLT | ||
Pain: | ||
Demonstrates how to use pain faces or a similar visual analog scale | ||
Demonstrates an understanding on the impact of pain on patient presentation eg. agitation | ||
Demonstrates an understanding of the impact of pain medication on patient presentation eg. sedative effect | ||
Sedation: | ||
Demonstrates an understanding of RASS (or alternative sedation) scoring system | ||
Able to access and read using ICU drug charts | ||
Demonstrates an awareness of common ICU sedative medications | ||
Demonstrates a basic knowledge of common ICU medications and their role e.g. sedatives, vasopressors, inotropes |
Self assessment | Senior assessment | |
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Assessment | ||
Explains physiotherapy role to patients and family | ||
Acquires consent for assessment and treatment or understands when to “treat in best interest” | ||
Ascertains the presenting condition and relevant medical and social history to inform assessment and goal setting | ||
Ascertains limitations of treatment (e.g. resuscitation status, End of life pathway) | ||
A - AIRWAY: | ||
Identifies type of airway, airway adjuncts and patency
| ||
Awareness of grades of Intubation and measures taken to secure ETT | ||
B - BREATHING: | ||
Identifies the oxygen delivery device, flow rate and FiO2 | ||
Ability to interpret vital signs from bedside monitoring equipment including respiratory rate, and saturations | ||
Auscultates patient and describes breath sounds and added sounds | ||
Observes and describes breathing pattern and chest wall movement | ||
Assesses cough and describes effectiveness | ||
Interprets a CXRAY, completing a systematic assessment identifying volume loss, consolidation, pneumothorax, pleural effusions and pulmonary oedema. | ||
Interprets blood gases demonstrating knowledge of parameters appropriate for the patient | ||
Able to identify mucolytics, bronchodilators and antibiotics within a prescription chart | ||
Mechanically Ventilated Patients: | ||
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C - CIRCULATION: | ||
Interprets vital signs from bedside monitoring including heart rate and rhythm. | ||
Identifies systolic and diastolic pressure and recognise a poor arterial trace | ||
Interprets cardiac monitoring demonstrating knowledge of parameters appropriate for the patient. | ||
Able to identify commonly used cardiac drugs within a prescription chart | ||
D - DISABILITY: | ||
Able to complete an accurate assessment of level of consciousness using AVPU or GCS | ||
Able to understand the RASS scoring system in the sedated patient | ||
Recognises Delirium scoring system and can describe methods to reduce delirium | ||
Able to identify commonly used medications to reduce agitation and ones that may affect level of consciousness | ||
E - EXPOSURE: | ||
Identifies and explain the indication for Chest drains and comment on their status (swinging/bubbling/on suction) | ||
Identifies and explain the indication for a PCA (Patient controlled analgesic) | ||
Identifies the urinary catheter or filter for Renal replacement therapy | ||
F - FLUIDS: | ||
Identifies and explain rationale for NG tube and completes the 4 checks for safety | ||
H- HAEMOTOLOGY: | ||
Identifies abnormal blood results and describes their potential impact on physiotherapy treatment. | ||
HB, Platelets, INR, APTT, K+, CRP, WCC, NA, Urea, Creatinine and Albumin | ||
Clinical Reasoning: | ||
Forms a problem list informed by the holistic patient assessment with and understanding of which problems are amenable to physiotherapy intervention | ||
Rehabilitation | ||
Assessment for rehabilitation | ||
PMH review to ascertain baseline | ||
Able to recognise parameters indicating readiness to start rehabilitation | ||
Ability to complete a Musculoskeletal assessment using a standardised objective measure such as Oxford grading scale for muscle strength | ||
Can document AROM, AAROM and PROM accurately | ||
Transfers and mobility | ||
Can assist a patient to sit over the edge of the bed and safely manage the attachments | ||
Can assess physiological tolerance of this manoeuvre and accurately describe the levels of assistance provided | ||
Can assist a patient from sitting over the edge of the bed to standing and safely manage the attachments | ||
Can assess physiological tolerance of this manoeuvre and accurately describe the levels of assistance provided | ||
Can mobilise a patient and safely change the attachments | ||
Can select appropriate seating with regards to levels of support and width and weight requirement | ||
Can assist with rolling a patient to insert a hoist sling | ||
Can lead hoisting to a chair ensuring lines are moved appropriately | ||
Can assess physiological tolerance of sitting | ||
Outcome measures | ||
Demonstrates awareness of commonly used outcome measures in ACCU within therapy - CPAx score, PICCUPS tool |