LEARNING OUTCOMES
On successful completion of this assignment you will be able to:
•Critically apply knowledge of anatomy and patho-physiology to maintain and
ensure the safety of patients undergoing surgical procedures.
•Synthesise the application of extended knowledge and skills and clinical decision making in all aspects of the role.
For this assignment you will need to carefully select a patient where it is anticipated you will undertake all the clinical skills i.e. assist for the procedure, apply direct diathermy, undertake closure and administer local infiltration to the wound site. You will need to choose at two or three skills to critically discuss in depth the application of your
knowledge and skill.
1. Discuss only any relevant patient related factors e.g. co-morbidity, age, allergies
which could impact on the patient’s perioperative care.
2. Critically review your Scope of Practice, boundaries and limitations in relation to
your role in general and specifically to your chosen patient. Don’t forget
informed consent.
3. Discuss your care for the patient applying and demonstrating your extended
knowledge and problem solving/decision making skills.
4. Evaluate your own practice in this case and any feedback received from your clinical
Supervisor
Points to include
•Provide a brief background of your role. What is an SCP? What is your role? How
does it differ from an SFA?
•Choose one patient
•Introduce the patient and provide any relevant information – that can impact on
their care e.g. diabetes
•Pre-op visit – informed consent. Do you consent? What does this involve?
Provide a brief discussion to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of
the importance of consent.
•Team brief & WHO checklist. What role do you take as the SCP?
•Brief discussion – positioning. What is your role and why?
•Prepping and draping. What role do you take and why?
•Discussion relating to anatomy involved in surgery – retraction – use of direct
diathermy (good critical discussion about this skill)
•If applicable administration LA – (good critical discussion about this skill)
•Wound closure choice of suture material, needle and technique – (good critical
discussion about this skill)
•Application of dressing
•Post-op visit
•Accountability – responsibility – scope of practice – boundaries –
•Use of most recent evidence based practice to support your critical discussion.
Some helpful tips
•When you discuss in your case study the skills that are part of your role as the
SCP e.g. pre-operative visiting rather than just describing that it was carried out,
discuss your role as the SCP briefly providing some critical analysis of it. Did you
put the patient at ease? What are the benefits for the patient?
•What is therefore required is some real meaty critical discussion around the new
skills you have developed e.g has it been easy? Has it been challenging? How
have you managed the situation? What was the rationale for your choice? What
impacted on your decision making at that time? These are just examples of some
of the questions you can ask yourself which will help to inform some critical
discussion
•Do not copy and paste any information from any previous essays as this will
show as plagiarism. This may be your own work but it is not good academic
practice.
•Your essay should be presented with a front sheet to be completed accurately
o Word count 4000 Size 12 Font Times New Roman or Arial Double lined
space
o Contain footers with your name and page numbers Use Edge Hill
Referencing system You can use sub headings
