A simulation-based acute skills performance assessment for anesthesia training

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anesthesiology
• Simulation-Based Training

Background:

• Trained raters demonstrated reliability in scoring simulation-based anesthesia acute care skills in prior research.
• Assessing acute care skill acquisition during training is crucial for anesthesia providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure the performance of student nurse anesthetists and resident physician trainees using a validated acute care skill evaluation.
• To analyze trainee performance data for insights into acute care skill acquisition.
• To gather data on the validity of simulation exercises for assessing critical event management.

Main Methods:

• Six simulation-based acute care exercises were administered to 43 anesthesia trainees (28 residents, 15 student nurse anesthetists).
• Participants were scored by six raters using detailed checklists, key-action items, or global ratings.
• Trainee performance was analyzed based on education and clinical experience.

Main Results:

• Senior residents, with more experience, achieved higher scores on simulation scenarios, supporting assessment validity.
• Trainee abilities varied significantly across different exercise types.
• While most trainees managed ventricular tachycardia effectively, recognizing and treating postoperative events like anaphylaxis and stroke presented difficulties for all.

Conclusions:

• A multiple-scenario, simulation-based performance evaluation can reliably assess trainee skills in managing critical events.
• Simulation exercises offer a valuable tool for medical training programs to measure and improve provider acute care competency.