Gynaecological surgical training in the operating room: an exploratory study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Gynaecology

Background:

• Acquiring surgical skills in the operating room is a critical but challenging aspect of gynaecological education.
• Research on safe, effective, and efficient surgical skill acquisition is limited.
• Understanding mutual expectations between trainers and trainees is crucial for optimizing operative training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore trainers' and trainees' mutual expectations in operative gynaecological training.
• To identify key factors for enhancing learning and teaching within the operating theatre.
• To address the scarcity of research on surgical skill acquisition in gynaecology.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative focus group study was conducted across multiple Dutch teaching hospitals.
• Three focus groups comprised gynaecology consultants from various training institutions.
• Four focus groups included gynaecology trainees at different training stages and from diverse hospital settings.
• Thematic analysis was performed on transcribed interviews by two researchers.

Main Results:

• Trainer-trainee interactions in the operating theatre are complex, influenced by potentially conflicting interests and a shared responsibility for patient safety.
• Structuring the learning process before, during, and after operations is key to positive dynamics.
• Pre-operative discussions on objectives and task allocation, intra-operative verbalization of actions, and post-operative evaluations facilitate learning.

Conclusions:

• The interaction between trainers and trainees in gynaecological surgery is complex due to shared patient responsibility.
• Implementing structured interactions before, during, and after surgical procedures offers significant opportunities to improve operating theatre education.
• This structured approach can enhance both the learning experience for trainees and the overall quality of surgical training.