Format of Renal Medicine Attachment at VHK
Key points for your attachment in Renal Medicine at VHK:
1. This is a clinical attachment therefore your presence and participation on the ward
and clinics are the prime activities. Superimposed on your time in the clinical
environment are tutorials and scheduled teaching which supplement your clinical
experience here.
2. Ward 22 manages general medical patients in addition to a variable number of renal
patients. This includes a renal high dependency area. Ward rounds occur daily with a
consultant led ward round on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Your attendance on the ward
round should allow you to present case, and discuss the case with the consultant and with the
patient. This should provide valuable OSCE experience and feedback. You should also help
plan the care and documentation arising from the ward round.
3. Spaces in the timetable should allow you to spend time with the junior doctors on the ward
helping with the work. You would gain experience of fluid prescription, medicine prescribing
(not signing prescriptions) and gain experience of renal management.
4. At any one time you should be familiar with the total care and management of 1-2 patients
on your ward. You should act as their FY1 doctor as far as possible, for example writing in
notes and writing kardexs (but NOT signing for drugs).
5. Informal individual feedback will be given by the consultant on ward 22 and renal SpR but
you might have to ask for it!
6. Professional behaviour – you are expected to be in VHK 9:00am-5:00pm on a daily basis.
If you need time off then it needs to be cleared with your educational supervisor and
university first. If you are off sick then please let me know by phone or email. In short your
behaviour on the ward should be as it would be for when you are in employment as a FY1.
Dr Arthur Doyle, Consultant Nephrologist
Renal Ward Attachment
The purpose of the attachment is for you to gain experience of renal clinical work. Should you
find yourself underemployed please avail yourselves to ward staff or consultants who will
direct you to suitable activities.
You have access to the renal Ward and dialysis units and you have the opportunity to
participate with the junior doctors in their tasks and duties. We would expect this experience
to be as rewarding and valuable as the scheduled sessions.
Tutorials
You will receive preparatory information for tutorials, which you should study in advance.
There may be online study provided for some sessions for you to complete.
Further information on topics can be found on EDREN website
NHS e-library provides access to “Uptodate” which is a hugely valuable reference for renal
medicine.
Please complete the Fluids and electrolyte tutorials on the eemec website
For the Acute Kidney Injury tutorial you are each expected to identify and discuss a case of
disturbed renal function in a general medicine patient. These are best identified from the
Medical Admissions Unit.
For the Proteinuria tutorial you should be able to discuss a case with a glomerular disease.
These may be patients attending for biopsy or patients seen at renal clinic. You should be
able to discuss the diagnostic process applicable to the patient.
Feedback
We value your feedback as you value ours. We will provide you with a sheet to record your
experience during the attachment which will help guide the feedback session at the end of the
block.
Renal Contacts
MW
KB
AA
AD
SpR
TC/JG
JA
MB:
KC:
RDU
KS/SMI:
LL/KR:
LR:
MWa/JH:
Ext 22221
Prof M Wood, Consultant
Dr K Buck, Consultant
Dr A Alfonzo, Consultant
Dr Arthur Doyle, Consultant
Ext 23107
Ext 22423
Ext 21139
Ext 22123
Ext 24373
Temby Chigaru/Jason Graham, Charge Nurse Ext 29920/22320
June Adamson (Clinical Skills Educator)
Ext 22379
Morna Bezeval, Senior Staff Nurse
Ext 22621
Karen Chalmers, Anaemia Coordinator
Ext 24321
Haemodialysis unit sister
Ext 28027
Sarah McInnes, Renal Pharmacist
Ext 22561
Linda Lawson/Kerry Aitken, Renal Dietician
Ext 25917/25783
Lisa Robertson, Renal Social Worker
Ext 24121
Maggie Wansell and John Henderson, Community Dialysis Nurses