It is possible that this short-course format and approach to course and
local faculty development may also have utility beyond the Sri Lankan
context. The courses were organized in collaboration with local institutions,
thereby increasing the possibility that the course would be sustainable,
relevant, and culturally acceptable. The NICST approach was based
on making use of intrinsic resources of the local health system for training,
namely, the Ministry of Health, nursing colleges, and nursing tutors.
A needs-based approach to course development, combining local needs
assessment with critical care training expertise ensured course relevance
to the local context. Implementation of a TTT approach can lead to
longer-term capacity building and facilitates the integration of relevant
course content into other aspects of the local training system, for
example, acute care skills for preregistration nurses. Involvement of
local nurse tutors throughout NICST supports the acceptability and sustainability
of the process and eventual integration of the course into
the local training system. Thus, although the exact content of a course
such as NICST may well differ across resource-limited settings, the
approach used for course development and delivery may well be feasible
in other low- and middle-income countries with a functioning health
care system that wish to upskill their critical care workforce