25.06.12
Shaky start
Will mandatory shadowing and targeted teaching be enough to significantly improve the performance of junior medics as they start work in hospitals this year? One would have hoped that five years of teaching would be enough to give them the necessary experience to fulfil their jobs without harming the patients they are there to protect.
Of course putting theory into practice is always difficult and any new start inevitably means mistakes. But when the mistakes bear such a high cost, something must be put in place to combat this.
And four days of similar content to their previous training may not be the best way to achieve this. It may delay the actually beginning of their independent work but perhaps a more integrated framework of support could maintain their level of confidence as well as securing patient safety.
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