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Published on: March 18, 2020
Teaching without a teacher: developing competence with a Bullard laryngoscope using only a structured self-learning
Leonard M Pott1, Dale Santrock
1Department of Anesthesiology, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033-0850, USA. lpott@psu.edu
Study Objective:
To show that a complex motor skill can be taught without requiring active expert faculty participation.
Design:
Prospective descriptive study.
Setting:
Simulation laboratory of an academic anesthesiology department.
Subjects:
Novice users of the Bullard laryngoscope, predominantly residents.
Interventions:
Novice Bullard users were presented with a PowerPoint presentation using text and pictures describing the use of the Bullard. The learners were also provided with a Bullard laryngoscope and a mannequin on which to practice. Self-learning time was not restricted.
Measurements:
Learners decided for themselves when they were competent and ready for competency assessment. The assessment tool was a checklist of essential steps developed by faculty experienced in Bullard laryngoscopy. The primary end-point was successful intubation.
Main Results:
All learners were deemed competent. The mean self-learning time was 14.1 minutes (SD, 3.1 min; range, 9.2-21.0 min). All subjects indicated a high level of satisfaction with the learning technique.
Conclusions:
Teaching a complex motor skill with no expert instruction is possible.
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