Laboratory for Clinical Skills Development Will Be Established in TNMU within the Ukrainian-Swiss Project “Development of Medical Education”

I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University is a participant in the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Development of Medical Education”. Recently, the coordinators of this program organized a seminar “Laboratories for clinical skills development and curriculum in medical education” in Kyiv, which was attended by representatives of TNMU. The aim and objectives of creation of the laboratories of clinical skills in pilot institutions of higher education were discussed during the event. Such a laboratory will be launched at Ternopil Medical University.

The creation of such simulation units involves development of documentation based on educational programs in the specialties of General Practice of Family Medicine and Nursing, the purchase of the necessary simulation and medical equipment to make the educational process consistent with the world best practices.

The coordinators of the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Development of Medical Education” aim to develop the health care by improving medical education. They pay much attention to competencies improvement, including skills development for future family doctors and nurses (i.e. primary care providers). The project provide support to pilot institutions of higher education for establishment of centres for clinical skills development by students, interns that allows assisting the patients by providing high-quality services. These simulation workplaces for family doctors and nurses will be equipped and arranged as much real life as possible.

The Ukrainian-Swiss project will provide universities with equipment for development the most of practical skills performed by a family medicine physician or nurse. Practicing family doctors and nurses, experts of the Academy of Family Medicine of Ukraine and of the Ukrainian-Swiss project prepared the list of equipment and tools necessary. These include both standard outpatient tools and mannequins for basic manipulations. The procurement took place in September 2020, and its delivery to the pilot IHE is expected in December 2020 – March 2021.

For the Laboratory for Clinical Skills Development TNMU will receive a functional couch (Family Practice Table), a mobile table for instruments, thermometers (electronic, infrared), tonometers (electronic and mechanical) with cuffs of 4 sizes, cardiac stethoscopes, otoscopes, bulb syringes for pneumatic otoscope (insufflator bulb), disposable funnels of different sizes, Jeanne’s syringes for washing the ear, scapulae for removing ear wax, scales for children and adults, medical measuring tapes, height meter, neurological hammers, a set of tuning forks (64, 128, 256, 512), pronometer, negatoscope, Rabkin’s table, table for checking visual acuity and the program on the smartphone Ambu bag for adults, Ambu bag for children, Ambu bag for newborns, as well as glucometer, lancet, 12-channel electrocardiograph, portable pulse oximeters, peak flow meter.Besides, tympanocentesis kits will be provided to the university for development of practical skills of higher level; as well as an ultrasound machine; Wood’s lamp; nasopharyngeal airways of all sizes; incubation kit; iGel of all sizes; simulators for training of injecting: hypodermic, intradermal, intramuscular, intravenous; intubation simulator (perhaps in the previous 2) with laryngoscopes, blades; cardiovascular resuscitation simulator for adults; cardiovascular resuscitation simulator for children under 1 year; cardiovascular resuscitation simulator for children 5-7 years; defibrillator training simulator with defibrillator; defibrillator-monitor; rhythm generation system; breast examination simulator; torso simulator; childbirth simulator; gynaecological examination equipment; advanced birth simulator; full-length mannequin of a patient.

The project team will also help in setting up the laboratory and trainings (compiling a list of necessary equipment, training plan, timing, interaction with students, assessment), as well as trainings for teachers, etc.

Within the Ukrainian-Swiss project on August 28, 2020 TNMU has also received technical devices necessary for distance learning: laptops, monitors, TVs, webcams, multimedia speakers, tripods, microphones, extension cords, software.

A cooperation agreement within the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Development of Medical Education” was signed by our University on March 27, 2019 in Kyiv during a meeting of the supervisory board of this project and the first joint meeting of the project participants. TNMU has got the right to implement the project in two areas – General Practice of Family Medicine and Nurses training.

The project “Development of Medical Education” was initiated by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Its main task is to assist universities in implementation of educational innovations within the reform of medical education by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.