Core curriculum and competencies for advanced training in neurological intensive care: United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties Guidelines

These guidelines regarding the program content of advanced training in neurological intensive care were preliminarily endorsed on October 20, 2005 by the United Council of Neurological Subspecialties (UCNS), and are based on existing criteria developed by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and by the Accreditation Council for Gradute Medical Education (ACGME). These guidelines have been reviewed and adapted by the authors to ensure that they combine basic aspects of general critical care medicine that are relevant to neurocritical care, as well as specialized skills that are specific to neurocritical care. The following is a listing of cognitive and procedural skills that are fundamental to the training of specialists in neurocritical care, regardless of whether a training program is based in neurology, neuro surgery , internal medicine, anesthesiology, pediatrics, or another specialty. This list also includes pertinent aspects on general critical care, such a cardiac, pulmonary, and infectious disease management. Fellowship program directors may choose to include additional cognitive or procedural skills to augment this listing in order to suit their goals for advanced training for physicians in neurocritical care. These guidelines should be used as recommendations for training directors to use in the development of each program. They are not intended to constrain any training program. They provide the basic framework for future mandates of cognitive and procedural skills necessary for a training program. Each director determines the specific content of his or her program.