Assessing intravenous cannulation and tracheal intubation training.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine Training
• Clinical Skills Assessment

Background:

• Effective assessment of clinical skills is crucial for medical trainees.
• Intravenous cannulation and tracheal intubation are fundamental emergency procedures.
• Objective methods are needed to monitor learning curves for these skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a simple graphical method for assessing learning progress.
• To evaluate student proficiency in intravenous cannulation and tracheal intubation.
• To assess skill retention and identify areas for improvement in refresher courses.

Main Methods:

• A graphical assessment tool was developed to track student performance.
• Thirty-four students undergoing initial training were evaluated.
• Thirty-one ambulance staff attending a refresher course were also assessed.

Main Results:

• During initial training, 91% of students met the 80% success criterion for cannulation, and 95% for intubation.
• In the refresher course, 44% of staff met the criterion for cannulation, and 61% for intubation.
• The graphical method provided a clear visual representation of skill acquisition and retention.

Conclusions:

• The graphical method effectively assesses proficiency in intravenous cannulation and tracheal intubation.
• Initial training demonstrates high success rates, but refresher courses highlight potential skill decay.
• This assessment tool can guide targeted interventions to improve clinical competency.