Trauma Training Courses

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​Please find a summary of trauma related training programmes that are currently available for staff.  

If you currently work within the South East Trauma Network and are interested in attending one of the below courses please speak to your line manager about registration.

Definitive Surgical Trauma Skills (DSTS)

Taught over two days by skilled and knowledgeable faculty, you will learn how to make life-saving surgical decisions and perform damage control under pressure in a trauma and emergency environment.

Through practical workshops on unembalmed cadavers, you will learn surgical procedures to manage a broad range of trauma situations, as well as covering decision-making, epidemiology and emerging technologies.

Course content:  You will cover a variety of topics during this course, including:

  • closure and drains;
  • pulmonary injuries;
  • renal injury;
  • subclavian injuries and axillary injuries;
  • the damage control philosophy;
  • trauma laparotomy;
  • vascular didactic

Course requirements:  This course is suitable for ST5-8, Consultants and SAS grades. Participants should have a good understanding of ATLS and critical care principles and experience of managing trauma both frequently and infrequently.

Format:   This course is based around practical workshops using unembalmed cadavers.

Next dates: Monday 6th and 7th December, Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh.  Cost £1400 per delegate. 
Click here for more information or to book a place.

Trauma Care After Resuscitation (TCAR)

The Trauma Care After Resuscitation (TCAR) course is specifically designed for ward care, critical care, perioperative, and rehabilitation nurses. The course will also appeal to other health professionals working in trauma settings. This programme gives inpatient staff members the foundational, evidence-based information and critical thinking skills necessary to provide excellent care to this challenging patient population.

Course content: 
The course begins by focusing on concepts relevant to the nursing care of the injured, hospitalised patient: 

  • The trauma care spectrum
  • The biomechanics of trauma 
  • The body’s response to injury

Delegates apply information by participating in interactive expanding case scenarios that focus on admission-to-discharge care of patients with injuries to various body regions. Cases include the surgical, medical, and nursing management of patients with:

  • Spine & spinal cord trauma 
  • Thoracic trauma 
  • Abdominal trauma 
  • Musculoskeletal trauma 
  • Head trauma

Format: The Live Online format is a virtual version of the course includes interactive quizzes, Q&A opportunities, and features the same in-depth material and highquality visuals as in the classroom. Course content is divided into four, 4-hour parts to promote learning retention.  Delegates can complete the four modules over two days or spread the course out over the duration of a year. 

Next Dates:  TCAR is running online modules throughout 2021.   Cost: £300 per delegate.
Click here for more information or to book your place.  

Paediatric Care After Resuscitation (PCAR)

The Paediatric Care After Resuscitation (PCAR) course is specifically designed for critical care, perioperative, ward, and rehabilitation nurses who primarily work with children. The course will also appeal to other health professionals working in trauma settings. This paediatric-specific version of the adult TCAR course gives inpatient staff members the foundational, evidence-based information and critical thinking skills necessary to provide excellent care to this challenging patient population.

Course content:
The course begins by focusing on concepts relevant to the nursing care of the injured, hospitalised child: 

  • The trauma care spectrum 
  • The biomechanics of trauma 
  • The body’s response to injury

Delegates apply information by participating in interactive expanding case scenarios that focus on admission-to-discharge care of children with injuries to various body regions. Cases include the surgical, medical, and nursing management of children with

  • Thoracic trauma 
  • Abdominal trauma 
  • Musculoskeletal trauma 
  • Head trauma
  • Spine & spinal cord trauma

Format: The Live Online format is a virtual version of the course includes interactive quizzes, Q&A opportunities, and features the same in-depth material and highquality visuals as in the classroom. Course content is divided into four, 4-hour parts to promote learning retention.  Delegates can complete the four modules over two days or spread the course out over the duration of a year. 

Next Dates:  PCAR is running online modules throughout 2021.   Cost: £300 per delegate
Click here for more information or to book your place. 

Trauma Orchestration of Continuing Healthcare (TORCH)

TORCH is a 2 day course consisting of didactic lectures and small group discussions delivered by a superb trauma faculty.  The TORCH course will teach you how to lead, coordinate and cohere the care that complex polytrauma patients require once they have left the critical care unit.

Course Topics:

  • TBI
  • Spinal Injury
  • Guide to Rehabilitation
  • Vulnerable Patient
  • Solid Organ Injury
  • Fixation & Flaps

Format: Delivered online, same expert faculty and the same format all interactive and remote

Next dates: Upcoming dates TBC. Visit the TORCH website here for more information. 

Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)

ATLS is a global course, teaching a systematic process of trauma care for patients with life-threatening injuries.

Throughout this two-day interactive course, you will learn a range of comprehensive and adaptable trauma management skills relevant to all specialties.

Learning Outcomes:   After attending ATLS course, you should be able to:

  • Demonstrate the concepts and principles of the primary and secondary patient assessment

  • Establish management priorities in a trauma situation

  • Initiate primary and secondary management necessary for the emergency management of acute life threatening conditions in a timely manner
  • In a given simulation, demonstrate the skills related to ABCD which are often required during initial assessment and treatment of patients with multiple injuries

Format: ATLS is a highly interactive course, taught using a variety of practical techniques including simulated patient scenarios, unfolding scenarios stations, group discussions and tutorials.

Course requirements:  This course is suitable for doctors at FY2 grade and above, equivalent staff grades and eligible advanced practitioners.

Next dates: TBC. Due to high demand for places on courses, we recommend checking the RCS website frequently for new courses and places that may become available

European Trauma Course (ETC)

Course content:  ETC teaches candidates in small groups to ensure everyone can maximise their learning potential. Over 2.5 days candidates will cover multiple scenarios including:

  • Abdominal trauma
  • Airway management 
  • Head injury
  • Paediatric trauma
  • Shock
  • Spinal Injury
  • Thoracic trauma

Technical skills are taught alongside non-technical skills to support your development as an effective member or leader of the trauma team. 

Format: The ETC course runs over 2.5 days and is predominantly practical based learning and participation in sum/scenario workshops.  Once successfully completed, you will be registered as an ETC Provider for 5 years following your course.

Next dates: New course dates are published regularly on the online calendar here.  Price: £775 per person.

Anaesthesia Trauma and Critical Care (ATACC)

Established over 20 years ago in the UK and now widely accepted as the most advanced trauma course currently  available across the globe. ATACC is fully accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons London.Over three long days, the course trains candidates in the management of the trauma patient from the roadside to critical care, with half of the course pre-hospital and half in-hospital.

ATACC includes all of the essential elements for pre-hospital care and all the requirements for staff working in a major trauma centre.

Course objectives: ATACC aims to provide candidates with a wide range of training and skills necessary to manage major traumatic injuries, from roadside to critical care, applying the latest evidence and current best practice. 

Next dates: Dates for 2021 are now fully booked although you can request to be added to their waiting list. 

Next dates: Upcoming dates are currently fully booked.  Visit the ATACC website for details of upcoming dates. 

Advanced Trauma Nursing Course (ATNC)
The ATNC is a 3-day course for registered nurses. It follows the patient journey from preparing for their arrival, through the resuscitation phase of their care. It provides an opportunity to develop the knowledge, skill and attitude necessary to care for the trauma patient and is recognized as an appropriate preparation for achieving Level 2 National Major Trauma Nursing Competencies (NMTNG 2016). The “team approach” is encouraged through shared learning with doctors on the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course. 

Course Requirements: for Registered Nurses working in trauma teams. However, to meet the educational needs of a changing workforce in trauma teams it is possible for health care professional from other groups (e.g. Paramedics and Operating Department Practitioners) to complete ATNC.

Next Dates: No dates currently available. Recommended that check the website frequently for information on new dates.  It is also possible to ‘register your interest’ to be notified of when a new course is available. 

Paediatric Advanced Cadaveric Trauma Surgery (PACTS)

This course is a two day hands on cadaveric operative workshop for surgeons, anaesthetists and theatre nurses likely to be involved in the operative management of major trauma in children. We combine team decision making and communication under pressure with operative techniques. The operative techniques focus on management of truncal and junctional zone injuries. The lectures, discussions and case studies explore the principles of damage control surgery in children, working in multi-specialty surgical teams and the human factors of managing under extreme pressure. Experience is shared from military and humanitarian surgeons as well as recent major incidents in the UK.

Course requirements: Aimed at consultants and ST8 and above in paediatric surgery, orthopaedics, plastics and neurosurgery or adult surgeons with an interest in children as well as paediatric anaesthetists and theatre nurses. Entire theatre trauma teams encouraged to attend together.

Next dates: 18th – 19th November 2021, Newcastle Surgical Training Centre. More Information can be found here 

Nurse Trauma and C

riti

cal Care (NATCC)


NTACC is a new and exciting 2 day course developed to meet the requirements of Level 1 and Level 2 of the Nursing and Allied Health Professionals Trauma Competencies in the Emergency Department as defined bythe National Major Trauma Nursing Group.

It is designed to equip nurses working in emergency departments with the necessary skills to manage an acute adult or paediatric trauma patient.

This dynamic & innovative course is delivered by carefully chosen and experienced instructors in our state of the art interactive, immersive, teaching centre.

Next dates: Upcoming dates are fully booked.  Please visit the course website for details of upcoming dates.