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A personal account of practising the fundamentals during the first COVID-19 wave. Using CPAP setup, removing PPE, closed-loop communication and end-of-life conversations as examples, the author explores breaking skills into smaller steps, seeking feedback and learning deliberately during everyday work.

This book brings together the best of the journal club posts from the St Emlyn’s blog and podcast. Journal Clubs have been a focus of our work and research for […]

This book brings together the best of the journal club posts from the St Emlyn’s blog and podcast. Journal Clubs have been a focus of our work and research for […]

Which ideas from learning science should shape medical education? Nick Smith reviews cognitive load, dual coding, retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving and feedback, while questioning familiar approaches such as learning styles. A reflection on how evidence about learning translated into teaching during the 2010s.

Why can a satisfying day of emergency procedures be a patient's worst day? Simon Carley's DFTB talk and accompanying reflection examine that tension, the motives behind interventions and the emotional support clinicians and learners need when a resuscitation becomes difficult or ends badly.

A review of the first UK Resuscitology course in Manchester, using challenging cases to examine how teams think and act during resuscitation. The article introduces STEPS and GPAS analysis, connects them with the Zero Point Survey and shares visual summaries of the learning.

Day two of the 2019 Intensive Care Society State of the Art meeting explores fluids, blood-pressure targets and vasoactive treatment, alongside sustainability and staff wellbeing. Later sessions consider trauma systems, bleeding control, chest injury and the needs of older patients with major trauma.

What does cardiac movement on ultrasound mean when no pulse can be felt? This 2019 review explores pseudo-PEA, its distinction from cardiac standstill and reported outcomes, while highlighting the limited evidence for proposed treatment changes and the need for further research.

Does knowing that a patient died change how we judge their earlier care? This appraisal examines a study in which clinicians rated the same cases with different outcomes, then considers what hindsight bias means for reflection, feedback and fair discussion of difficult emergency medicine cases.

A satisfying day in emergency medicine may be the worst day of a patient’s life. Simon Carley explores this tension, asking how enthusiasm for procedures and clinical challenges can coexist with empathy, thoughtful decisions and attention to what the patient needs.