Medical students have made a valuable contribution to the care of COVID19 patients during the first corona wave. This is the conclusion of researchers at Maastricht UMC + in a recent publication in the scientific journal Journal of Critical Care. About 200 students have been deployed in the Maastricht hospital as gatekeepers, support staff in intensive care and for the remote monitoring of patients. Now that the numbers are rising again, the use of medical students is yet another alternative to relieve the burden on healthcare staff.
During the first wave of the corona pandemic, much was still unknown about the new virus. A lot of regular care was scaled down, education was organized in a different way and internships by medical students came to a standstill. Reason for Matthijs Bosveld and Daan van Doorn, fifth-year medical students at Maastricht University, to identify the need for support at Maastricht UMC +.
Relieve the burden on healthcare personnel
“Medical students have an intrinsic motivation to help people,” says Van Doorn. “That’s why they started studying medicine. It is very frustrating to be at home and not be able to do anything. ” The two students therefore visited different departments in the Maastricht hospital to see whether there were possibilities to relieve the burden on the care staff. The primary focus for the treatment and care of patients was of course in the hands of doctors and nurses, but there appeared to be more than enough tasks. Medicine students from different years of course have a difference in knowledge and skills level, but the activities have been adjusted accordingly. They also received additional specific training and were educated about the corona virus.
From gatekeeper to medical scribe
Ultimately, about 200 medical students were deployed at Maastricht UMC +. For example, a position as gatekeeper during the screening of patients and visitors at the entrances or as a so-called medical scribe in a corona ward, where students assist in keeping medical data. This relieves the doctor who makes a tour of patients in protective clothing. He or she cannot keep up with the medical administration without changing clothes every time. Students in the Intensive Care Unit could also provide support in, for example, turning patients on artificial respiration or during care. A central observation post was also set up in the hospital, where camera images of patients (who gave permission for this) could be observed by students in strict viral isolation. For example, they could alert the nurses on indication.
Second wave
Now that the corona figures show an upward trend again and the pressure on hospitals is increasing, medical students can take up their role again, according to Bosveld: “Especially now that the measures are being tightened up and students are finding themselves at home more often because a side job is lost. I can well imagine that there is an urgent need for helping hands again. Students can not only be deployed in the UMCs, but there are also opportunities in other hospitals or care institutions. It is also very educational for the students themselves and they work on improving their own skills. A win-win situation. ”
Matthijs Bosveld and Daan van Doorn published the scientific article in the Journal of Critical Care about their own experiences and those of healthcare professionals under the supervision of medical specialists from Maastricht UMC +.
Source: Maastricht UMC +
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