Biography
Dr Jennifer Porter MB, MD, FCARCSI, MSc, Dip Hlth Man (RCSI/IPA) is a Clinical Associate Professor based in the Department of Surgery in the School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin. She is a Consultant Anaesthetist in the Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine at St James's Hospital (since 2005).
A graduate of UCD, she completed specialist training in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care in Ireland, an MD degree in University College Cork and undertook clinical and research Fellowship training in the University of Toronto and University Health Network, Canada in ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia, obstetric and ambulatory anaesthesia before returning to Dublin to take up her post in St James's Hospital. Her interests include Anaesthesia education, human factors in perioperative care, multi-disciplinary simulation training for undergraduates and trainees, the development of quality and safety case-based learning, advanced airway management training, regional anaesthesia, perioperative applications of ultrasound and trauma management.
Earlier research was focused on the non-neural effects of the local anaesthetic agent, ropivacaine. More recently, her research focus has been on enhancing anaesthesia education and perioperative safety with emphasis on human factors' and multi-disciplinary simulation-based education.
She has examined for both Membership (MCAI) 2000-2016 and Fellowship (2010-2016) postgraduate anaesthesia exams.She is a member of Simulation teaching faculty since 2010, for courses for Consultants and National Airway Leads, leading the Multi-Disciplinary Anaesthesia and Surgery Operation Training (2014-2020)and Anaesthesia Emergencies (2020-) courses.
She is on Faculty for the national Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Instructors' course and a bootcamp for surgical trainees, both based in RCSI.
She is the Lead for Anaesthesia undergraduate teaching in TCD since 2017 and for anaesthesia postgraduate teaching at the St James's campus since 2018. She established an Anaesthesia safety and quality case-based reporting and learning forum and runs in-situ simulation sessions based in the operating room for students, interns and trainees. Other teaching initiatives include bootcamp training for novices in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine and the development of small group workshop skills' teaching, adapted for pandemic education.
She completed a MSc in human factors in patient safety at RSCI in 2020 and is a member of a Patient Safety focus group at the College of Anaesthesiologists and a Human Factors in Patient Safety group (RCSI) and contributed to the Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology project (2020-2021).She undertook mentorship training in 2017 and established a Mentorship and well-being programmes for anaesthesia trainees in St James's campus in 2018.
She contributes to the Creative Life programme for the Mercers' Institute for Successful Ageing in St James's through music facilitation and performance both on-site and online for staff and patients.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
C Mullins, R Free, D Kelly, J M Porter, A desktop systems' analysis of critical incidents within a university hospital department of anaesthesia, Irish Journal of Medical Science, 2021
O Morris, P McCauley, R Boylan,C Burlacu, J M Porter, A simulation-based training programme in rapid sequence induction for novice anaesthesiology trainees, utilising a novel checklist, Anaesthesia , 2021
Pharmacokinetics of Local Anaesthetics in, editor(s)McLeod, McCartney C, Wildsmith JAW , Principles and Practice of Regional anaesthesia, London, Oxford University Press, 2012, [Jenny Porter]
F Debuck, S Nijs, J Porter, M Vandevelde, D Van Schoubroeck, R Devlieger, L Lewi, R Windrim, S Davies, G Ryan, J Deprest, Outcomes of different anesthetic techniques in fetoscopic laser treatment for TTTS, Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 19th World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, September 2009, 34, (S1), 2009, pp134 - 134
S Davies,J Porter,CE Pennell, F Alkazaleh,GRyan, Optimal anaesthesia for endoscopic placental sugery, Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, 52, (1), 2005, pA186 - A186
Porter JM, McCartney CJ, Chan VW., Needle placement and injection posterior to the axillary artery may predict successful infraclavicular brachial plexus block: a report of three cases., Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 52, (1), 2005, p69-73
Porter J, Markos F, Snow HM G & Shorten G, The efficacy of nicorandil, calcium chloride and nitroglycerin in treatment of ropivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity, European Journal of Anaesthesiology, 20, (12), 2003, p939 - 945
Porter JM, Kelleher N, Flynn R, Shorten GD., Epidural ropivacaine hydrochloride during labour: protein binding, placental transfer and neonatal outcome., Anaesthesia, 56, (5), 2001, p418-423
J M Porter, J Mc Ginley,, B O Hare, G D Shorten, The effects of ropivacaine hydrochloride on platelet function: an assessment using the platelet function analyser (PFA-100)., Anaesthesia, 56, (1), 2001, p15-18
O'Rourke N, Bennett M, Porter J, Gallagher DJ, Shorten G., Universal precautions--do Irish anaesthetists comply?, Ir J Med Sci, 169, (3), 2000, p211-214
J M Porter, N Fanning, H P Redmond, T G Cotter, G D Shorten, The effects of epidural ropivacaine on neutrophil apoptosis, International Monitor of Regional Anaesthesia, European Society of Regional Anaesthesia, Geneva, 1998, 10, 2000, pp21 - 21
Porter J, Markos F, Snow HM & Shorten G, Effects of respiratory and metabolic pH changes and hypoxia on ropivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity, British Journal of Anaesthesia, 84, (1), 2000, p92 - 94
J M Porter, F Markos, HM Snow, GD Shorten, The effects of respiratory and metabolic ph changes on ropivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity, International Monitor of Regional Anaesthesia, European Society of Regional Anaesthesia, Geneva, 1998, 10, (20), 2000, pp20 - 20
Porter JM, Pidgeon C, Cunningham AJ., The sitting position in neurosurgery: a critical appraisal., British journal of anaesthesia, 82, (1), 1999, p117-128
J M Porter, J McGinley, B O' Hare, G D Shorten, The effects of ropivacaine hydrochloride on coagulation and fibrinolysis. An assessment using thromboelastography, Anaesthesia , 54, 1999, p902 - 906
J M Porter, J McGinley, B O' Hare, G D Shorten, The effects of ropivacaine hydrochloride on platelet function - an assessment using the platelet function analyser (PFA-100), Anesthesiology, American Society of Anestheiologists Annual Meeting, Dallas, USA, 1999, 91, (3A), 1999, ppA10883 - A1083
Fanning NF, Porter J, Shorten GD, Kirwan WO, Bouchier-Hayes D, Cotter TG, Redmond HP., Inhibition of neutrophil apoptosis after elective surgery., Surgery, 126, (3), 1999, p527-534
J M Porter, J McGinley, B O' Hare, G D Shorten, The effects of ropivacaine hydrochloride on coagulation and fibrinolysis. An assessment using thromboelastography, 82, (S109), 1999, ppA361 - A361
Porter JM, Magner J, Phelan D., Anaphylaxis due to suxamethonium--manifested at induction of anaesthesia by bradycardia and cardiac arrest., Ir J Med Sci, 168, (2), 1999, p99-101
Porter JM, Page R, Wood AE, Phelan D., Ventricular perforation associated with central venous introducer-dilator systems., Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 44, (3), 1997, p317-320
J M Porter, J Regan, R Dwyer, Reduced morphine requirements in the elderly, British Journal of Anaesthesia , 1996, 76,S2:128 A413, 1996
Porter J, Lynch L, Hart S, Keohane C., Unexpected neurological deficits following recovery from anaesthesia., Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 41, (4), 1994, p317-320
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
C Parkash, W Hassan, J M Porter, Anaesthetic management of emergency caesarean section following intracranial haemorrhage, Annual Congress of Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Dublin, May 2021, 2021
S Corbett. J M Porter, Trainee evaluations of the anaesthesiology mentorship scheme at St James's Hospital, Annual Congress of Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Dublin, May 2021, 2021
R Free, D Kelly, C Mullins, J M Porter, A pragmatic approach to incident reporting, analysis and case-based learning in anaesthesia, National Patient Safety in Anaesthesia Conference, Dublin, 2020, 2020
J P Duncan, A Mableson, J M Porter , Fostering safety by design: the use of electronic patient record prescribing plans to automtae patient safety in routine post-operative opioid prescribing, National Patient Safety in Anaesthesia Conference, Dublin, November 2020, 2020
D Kelly, J Porter, The use of a critical incident WhatsApp group as a novel approach to incident reporting, National Patient Safety Conference in Anaesthesia , Dublin, 2019, 2019
C MacSweeney, M Mc Crohan, J M Porter, Anaesthesia for hip fracture: a retrospective audit and survey of current practice, Association of Anaesthetists Annual Congress, Dublin, 2018, 2018
R Bowe, J M Porter, Drug preparation in anaestheisa, Annual Congress, College of Anaesthesiologists, 2015, Dublin, 2015, 2015
J M Porter, J Regan, R Dwyer, Reduced morphine requirements in the elderly, British Journal of Anaesthesia , 1996, 76,S2:128 A413, 1996
Research Expertise
Description
My earlier research focused on the study of non-neural effects of the local anaesthetic, ropivacaine, exploring the influences of acute changes in acid-base status and hypoxia on local anaesthetic- induced cardiotoxicity and also to investigate potential mitigation of often fatal effects using physiological manipulation and also novel pharmacological therapies. My other work investigated the effects of ropivacaine on coagulation, neonatal neurobehavioural scores and immune function (neutrophil apoptosis). Currently, I am interested in the impact of human factors and the role of simulation in enhancing perioperative patient safety, specifically in how simulation-based education can address the gaps in the traditional apprenticeship model of medical education, both within anaesthesia and in multi-disciplinary team training. I am currently developing programmes for training novice anaesthesia trainees in essential airway management competencies such as rapid sequence induction. In addition, I have developed a forum for reporting and sharing local adverse events and excellence to improve local safety cultures and ultimately patient care. This forum encourages direct confidential reporting and I am investigating which events are shared and whether participation in such a forum can change attitudes to reporting adverse events.Projects
- Title
- Review of perioperative traumatic proximal femoral fracture management
- Summary
- We are undertaking a review of perioperative hip fracture management, examining time to surgery, preoprative interventions and their utility, mode of anaesthesia and pain management. This will enable us to identify key areas of quality improvement for a subsequent projects
- Funding Agency
- None
- Date From
- 2020
- Date To
- 2022
Recognition
Representations
Member of Patient Safety Focus Group, College of Anaesthesiologists in Ireland
Member of Human Factors in Patient Safety Focus Group at RCSI
Awards and Honours
Delaney Medal, Faculty of Anaesthesia, RCSI (first place) - The pressor response to laryngeal mask insertion - a comparison with endotracheal intubation in a hypertensive population
First Prize: Best Free Paper Competition, European Society of Regional Anaesthesia - the effect of epidural ropivacaine on neutrophil apoptosis
Shortlist: Best Free Paper Competition- European Society of Regional Anaesthesia - the effects of respiratory and metabolic pH changes and hypoxia on ropivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity
Poster Prize Association of Physicians (GBI) -the influence of acute changes in acid-base status on ropivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity
Irish Journal of Medical Science JMS Doctor Awards - Finalist
Memberships
Fellow of College of Anaesthesiologists
Member of Association of Anaesthetists
Member of Regional Anaesthesia, United Kingdom
Society in Europe for Simulation applied to Medicine
Member of European Society of Anaesthesia
Member of Irish Society of Regional Anaesthesia