PCAR Programme Description
PCAR Programme Description
Unlike trauma education programmes that focus on prehospital and ED resuscitation, the PCAR course was specifically designed to give nurses and AHPs the foundational, evidence-based information and critical thinking skills necessary to care for injured children BEYOND the resuscitative phase, in emergency, theatre, critical care, ward, and rehab settings. Using a case-based format, learners follow trauma patients across their care continuum, from admission through discharge.
PCAR covers a wide range of pathophysiologic and clinical concepts, and is designed to be a broad, core-level programme, rather than an advanced or speciality-specific course. Although nurses are PCAR's largest audience, the information contained in this programme is relevant to physiotherapists, paramedics, social workers, occupational therapists, and others who interact with injured, hospitalised children.
For information about the course, click the Course Info tab.
Course Content
Part 1:
An introduction to basic topics relevant to the care of the hospitalised paediatric trauma patient:
- The trauma care spectrum
- The biomechanics of trauma
- The body's response to injury
Part 2:
Learners engage in expanding case scenarios that address the care of hospitalised paediatric patients with injuries to major body systems. Each module introduces specific trauma care concepts including pathophysiology, patient assessment, and complications. Surgical, therapeutic, and nursing management options and outcome criteria are introduced while analysing children with:
- Thoracic injury
- Abdominal injury
- Musculoskeletal injury
- Head injury
- Spine and spinal cord injury
Each expanding case scenario promotes critical thinking, knowledge synthesis, and clinical reasoning skills by inviting learners to:
- Incorporate injury biomechanics information
- Analyse clinical assessment data
- Suggest appropriate care interventions
- Identify individuals at risk for deterioration
- Prevent, recognise, and manage complications
- Understand trends and issues in paediatric trauma patient care
- Predict each child’s care trajectory
- Set realistic goals and evaluate outcomes
Learner Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Describe the trauma continuum of care.
- Identify high risk paediatric patient populations.
- Anticipate specific wounds and complications based on mechanism of injury.
- Recognise and influence the body’s multisystem responses to traumatic insults.
- Integrate physical assessment, imaging studies, vital signs, and laboratory data to evaluate the hospitalised, injured child.
- Describe appropriate surgical, nursing, and ancillary care interventions for frequently encountered injuries.
- Coordinate with multidisciplinary team members to provide appropriate and timely care to injured children.
- Prevent, identify, and manage complications common to kids hospitalised for injury.
- Select realistic patient goals and evaluate care outcomes.
- Address the psychosocial needs of injured children and their family members.
