Education and training for acute care delivery: a needs analysis.

Technological and clinical advances have led to increased levels of patient dependency and shorter hospital stay, such that they are now often managed on general wards. Have staff been trained or educated for this change in focus? This project was designed to identify the education and training needs of health care professionals in assessing and managing acutely physically ill hospital patients, within the boundaries of one Strategic Health Authority (SHA) in the UK. Participants identified the knowledge, skills and resources required to assess and manage acutely ill patients. These issues may be addressed through the provision of an appropriate range of structured educational programmes and experiences with the ultimate aim of improving standards of patient care.