Paediatric Respiratory Team RHCYP

Welcome to your placement on the Respiratory Paediatric Team at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.

We are keen for you to get the best educational experience out of your time in the Respiratory team. We have a mix of chronic respiratory disease e.g. long-term pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, asthma and acute respiratory conditions, e.g. complex pneumonia. In addition, we have a high number of short-stay admissions for elective investigations (sleep studies, bronchoscopy etc). There are lots of learning opportunities.

Our in-patient workload includes daily rounds of patients in the critical care and transitional care units, as well as Dalhousie Ward. In addition, there are out-patient clinics which run 4 days out of 5. There are learning opportunities to look at sleep studies, observe lung function and exercise tests or go to theatre to watch bronchoscopy, as well as a range of clinics (see timetable).

You are welcome to be involved in anything going on within the department and the more you involve yourself, the more you will get out of your time. We will try to let you know about all interesting cases and encourage you to discuss and ask questions about the children that you see.

The wards you will be working on during this placement are:

Dalhousie Ward
Paediatric Critical Care Unit - High Dependency Unit

Every morning as a team, we discuss the patient's and the day's events. Here we can make a plan for the rest of your day to maximise learning opportunities.

 
First day arrangements

On the first morning you should attend Dalhousie Ward on the 3rd floor of RHCYP. The doctors room is the first on the right as you walk in. Knock on the door - there is usually someone there from 8:45am. If not, then walk to reception and speak to Margaret - our amazing ward clerkess - and she will give you the code to gain access.

Absence reporting

In the event you are unable to attend your shift, please contact the paediatric respiratory registrar through the switchboard - bleep 9431.

Main contacts

We work on a consultant of the week basis and suggest students can introduce themselves to the consultant of the week when attached to the respiratory team. Students who are attached to the respiratory service can consider the respiratory consultant of the week as their pastoral contact and discuss any concerns they have with them.

 
 
 

Occasional extras

  • MDT meetings (e.g. difficult asthma, congenital lung disease, long term ventilation, CF) happen throughout the week and can be discussed with the consultant of the week

  • A bronchoscopy list is held once per 4 weeks on a Tuesday morning in addition to an ad hoc CEPOD (emergency) cases

  • Ann McMurray (asthma nurse) has a clinic on a Friday morning and is always very happy to teach students. Demand is high from other professionals for this clinic, therefore students must arrange in advance

  • Dr Armstrong has a clinic on alternate Friday mornings and would be happy for a student to sit in (check dates with respiratory secretaries)

Meet the Team

  • Respiratory Medicine Department Consultants - Steve Cunningham, Don Urquart, Catherine McDougall, Kenny Macleod, Stefan Unger, Florian Gahleither, Dave Armstrong

  • Registrars (August 21-Feb 22) - Thomas Williams, Kirsty Hogg, Tim Lewis

  • WellChild Respiratory Nurse Specialists - Linda McCarthy, Laurie Jack

  • Cystic Fibrosis Nurse Specialists - Amanda McGrath, Jenny Marwick, Heather Dowle

  • Asthma Nurse Specialists - Ann McMurray, Julie Westwood

  • Respiratory Physiotherapists - Zoe Johnstone, Carolyn Aitken-Arbuckle, Kirstin Unger