A multicentre prospective audit of bedside hydration in hospital.

Introduction: access to water at the bedside is a cornerstone of patient care. Among bedbound inpatients, water within reach at the bedside is a basic human dignity and one that ought not to be neglected.

Aim: the authors sought to identify the extent to which accessible hydration facilities were provided to a bedbound inpatient population.

Role of SimMan in teaching clinical skills to preclinical medical students.

Background: Simulation training has potential in developing clinical skills in pre-clinical medical students, but there is little evidence on its effectiveness.

Methods: Twenty four first year graduate entry preclinical medical students participated in this crossover study. They were divided into two groups, one performed chest examination on each other and the other used SimMan.