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Published on: January 31, 2025
Teaching and learning spinal anaesthesia: anaesthetists' attitudes
Dorothy Breen1, George Shorten, Lajos Bogar
1Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Cork University Hospital, Ireland. dorothybreen@financialcontroller.ie
Anaesthetists in Ireland and Hungary identified key factors for learning spinal anaesthesia, including trainee knowledge, motivation, trainer communication, and feedback. Differences emerged in preferences for problem-based learning and trainee self-awareness.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Anaesthesiology
- Procedural Skill Acquisition
Background:
- Investigated determinants of learning spinal anaesthesia.
- Part of the EU Leonardo da Vinci Lifelong Learning Programme (MedCAP).
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify and prioritize learning determinants for spinal anaesthesia.
- Elicit opinions from anaesthetists in Ireland and Hungary.
Main Methods:
- Electronic survey distributed to anaesthetists in Ireland and Hungary.
- Analysis of respondent agreement with learning determinant statements.
- Comparative analysis of responses between Ireland and Hungary.
Main Results:
- High agreement (>90%) on baseline knowledge, clinical demonstration, trainee/trainer motivation, and communication skills as key learning factors.
- Hungarian anaesthetists favored problem-based learning (95%) more than Irish anaesthetists (43%).
- Irish anaesthetists emphasized trainee self-awareness (73%) more than Hungarian anaesthetists (34%).
Conclusions:
- Spinal anaesthesia learning is influenced by trainee, trainer, and training program factors.
- Identified national differences in views on problem-based learning and self-awareness.
- Findings can inform the design of anaesthesia training programs and simulators.
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