About this course
Safe Sedation: Procedural Sedation in Children is a hands-on, simulation-based course designed for clinicians who are expected to sedate children of all ages in emergency and urgent care settings. The course provides practical, evidence-based guidance across the full sedation pathway — from pre-sedation assessment and drug selection to airway management, monitoring, complication management, and safe discharge. Aligned with RCEM, RCoA, and RCPCH sedation guidance, the course emphasises patient safety, regulatory compliance, and real-world application.
Through expert-led teaching, skills stations, and high-fidelity simulation, participants develop confidence in managing sedation across the age spectrum, from toddlers to older children. A strong focus is placed on human factors, teamwork, and communication to support safe and effective sedation practice in high-risk, low-frequency scenarios. The course is competency-based training that guides clinicians in managing patients prior to, during, and after moderate sedation administration.
The course is suitable for Emergency Medicine doctors, Paediatricians, Urgent Care clinicians, and other healthcare professionals who perform or supervise procedural sedation in children.
Course format and structure:
• Case-based learning
• Sedation pharmacology and safety lectures
• Skills stations covering airway management, monitoring, and emergency response
• Group simulation exercises to facilitate active and passive learning
• Team-based debriefing and interactive discussion
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
• Understand the pharmacology, indications, and safety profiles of key sedative agents used in children (ketamine, propofol, fentanyl, midazolam, nitrous oxide, and Penthrox) and their reversal strategies
• Perform pre-sedation risk assessment and age-appropriate consent
• Recognize and manage sedation-related adverse events, including airway compromise and delayed recovery
• Select the appropriate sedation level, monitoring, and environment
• Apply behavioural and family-centred strategies to support paediatric sedation
• Demonstrate key airway manoeuvres and use of adjuncts in sedation-related emergencies
• Use structured checklists and documentation aligned with national sedation standards• Apply the RABC approach (Responsiveness, Airway, Breathing, Circulation) to identify adverse events• Reflect on human factors, team dynamics, communication skills, and environmental considerations• Develop a systematic and rational approach to procedural sedation
