Teaching sedation and analgesia with simulation

This study reports on the efficacy of using the anesthesia simulator to teach sedation and analgesia to nurses. This provision of sedation and analgesia to a patient is accomplished with the goal of maintaining the ability of the patient to respond purposefully to auditory or tactile stimuli.

Nurses working in areas of the hospital where conscious sedation is performed were the participants in this sedation and analgesia training course. Prior to the training session, the participants read the American Society of Anesthesiology Practice guidelines for sedation and analgesia by non-anesthesiologists. At the time of the training session, each participant completed a written pretest, had an introduction to sedation and analgesia with four clinical crisis teaching scenarios using the anesthesia simulator, a practical exam using the simulator, and a written post-test. Each participant was also given the opportunity to complete an evaluation of the session.

Twenty nurses completed the training session. The written tests had a maximum possible score of 30. Mean score on the written pretest was 22.9 +/- 3.54, and mean score on the written post-test was 26.0 +/- 4.24 (p < 0.001). Seventeen of the twenty subjects scored higher on the post-test. Mean practical exam score was 5.5 of a possible 6.0. Mean participant rating of the education session was 3.75 (1 = poor, 4 = excellent). All but one participant rated the length of the training session as "about right."

The anesthesia simulator provides an excellent tool for teaching conscious sedation skills to hospital nurses. The participants' test performance improved following the session, and they also rated the educational experience as excellent.