Background and Aims In the conduct of Paediatric Procedural Sedation (PPS) within the Emergency Department (ED) the combination of powerful drugs, variable competency levels and high staff turnover carry the potential for sedation-associated adverse events. Yet, currently, there is no set programme for education and accreditation of Irish ED staff in PPS. We describe the introduction of a structured educational programme for PPS within the ED for all ED clinical staff.

Methods Prior to the introduction of the PPS programme in July 2011 a Sedation Committee was established comprising a core group of senior nurses and a Consultant in Emergency Medicine. The committee developed the PPS programme including key educational elements (Sedation Manual; Lecture; treatment order form and checklist; Parent Information Leaflet) and credentialing through multiple-choice questions (online and open-book), bedside teaching (2 scheduled practice sessions) and 2 competency assessments (final clinical/moulage).

Results Since its inception (July 2011) a total of 48 ED staff members have started the PPS programme:

• 17 doctors (9 Registrars and 8 Senior House Officers) with 7 fully credentialled;

• 26 nursing staff (1 Clinical Nurse Manager (CNM) 3, 5 CNM2, 1 Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) and 19 staff nurses) with 12 fully credentialled.

Conclusions The introduction phase of our ED PPS, the first of its kind in Ireland, has been successful. As a result of the multidisciplinary development process, the programme will likely have broad applicability in different types of ED, and potentially other clinical areas, caring for children.