The clean utility areas in each unit contain ready prepared boxes containing all the required equipment for a particular procedure (arterial line, central line, chest drain, lumbar puncture, nasogastric tube, tracheostomy).

After you have completed the procedure ensure all sharps and clinical waste are disposed of and return the used box to the dirty utility room and ask a healthcare assistant to restock. 

The use of ultrasound to assist central line placement is mandatory. We have several USS equipment for line placement.

Please ask to be shown how to use the equipment . There will be a teaching session in the first few weeks to help you. 

There are teaching videos and papers from the New England Journal of Medicine (see below) to provide you with a practical guide and background information about commonly performed procedures. There are also pathways for most of the procedures combined with a LocSSIP (Local Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures), which are mandated to use every time you perform a procedure. You should be supervised by a senior clinician at all times whilst learning.