Pediatric emergency medicine trisk 0320 0320

with permission, © The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA; B: From Hahnemann University Hospital, University MedEvac, Philadelphia, PA, with permission.) PEDIATRIC TRANSPORT TEAM STRUCTURE AND LOGISTICS There are several common models of pediatric transport teams across the country Dedicated pediatric transport teams are often freestanding teams whose primary responsibility is to transport patients These teams not take on direct patient care assignments, though often assist throughout the hospital during their “downtime.” Many dedicated teams transport both neonatal as well as “pediatric” patients, though some teams are exclusively “neonatal or pediatric.” Another model is the “unit-based” team These teams mobilize team members from clinical units when a transport request is made For example, a NICU nurse is pulled from a patient assignment to go retrieve a patient for the NICU Finally, there are some programs that utilize hybrid models of the above Many types of providers can function effectively as part of a pediatric transport team Nurses, advanced practice providers (NP, PA), respiratory therapists, EMTs, paramedics, and physicians serve on various transport teams In general, the personnel chosen for the transport team should have experience in the care of critically ill infants and/or children, and be competent in the transport environment Excellent bedside clinicians may be less effective in the transport environment if they not know where to find resources in the ambulance or helicopter, how to turn on the oxygen or suction Additionally, motion sickness impairs the clinician’s ability to optimally care for the patient The team may not be ideal if one of the providers is limited in ability to perform specific patient care tasks, such as medication administration and delivery Finally, while the transport environment is a tremendous place to learn patient care in austere settings, space constraints often limit the addition of additional learners The primary mission of the team must be kept in mind when selecting personnel and planning training For example, a team devoted to neonatal transport should consider team members with experience in the care of critically ill neonates, whereas teams that also perform transports from nonhospital locations may want to employ personnel with prehospital care experience Teams that have more broad-based missions, such as those that transport both neonates and older children, should attempt to recruit team members from varied hospital areas, including the NICU, PICU, CICU, and emergency department **By necessity, such teams have to devote considerable time to the medical crosstraining of staff members However, having team members from varied