Evaluating team-based inter-professional advanced life support training in intensive care-a prospective observational...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Critical Care Nursing
• Emergency Medicine Training

Background:

• National standards in Australian hospitals necessitate effective staff training in advanced life support (ALS).
• Traditional annual ALS certification methods are being questioned for their efficacy in critical care settings.
• Simulation and team-based learning offer potential improvements for ALS education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a new inter-professional, team-based advanced life support program for intensive care unit (ICU) staff.
• To compare the effectiveness of this new program against traditional ALS training methods.

Main Methods:

• A prospective observational study was conducted in a large private metropolitan ICU.
• Participants included ICU staff, utilizing standardized questionnaires and multiple-choice assessments.
• Data collected included attendance rates, satisfaction, role understanding, and confidence levels.

Main Results:

• The new program led to a 17.8% increase in ICU nursing attendance at training sessions (P=0.01).
• Nurses reported significant improvements in satisfaction (P <0.001), role understanding (P <0.001), and confidence (P <0.001).
• Doctors showed a statistically significant improvement in confidence for ALS provision outside the ICU (P=0.04).

Conclusions:

• Team-based, inter-professional ALS training significantly enhances nursing staff outcomes.
• The program improved attendance, satisfaction, confidence, and role understanding compared to traditional ALS training.
• While incurring additional costs, the benefits in staff preparedness for critical events are notable.