Central Line Proficiency Test Outcomes after Simulation Training versus Traditional Training to Competence

Studies have shown the importance of simulation-based training on the outcomes of central venous catheter (CVC) insertion by trainees.

To compare the performance of internal medicine trainees who underwent standardized simulation training of CVC insertion with that of internal medicine trainees who had traditional CVC training and were already deemed competent to perform the procedure during a proficiency evaluation using a training mannequin.

Trainees who perform CVC insertion were enrolled in the institutional Central Line Workshop, which includes both an online and an experiential simulation component. The training is followed by a certification station proficiency assessment. Residents and fellows previously certified competent to perform CVC placement without supervision completed the online module, but they could opt out of the experiential component and proceed directly to the evaluation.

Forty-eight trainees participated in the study. Twenty-one (44%), 15 (31%), 6 (13%), 1 (2%), 2 (4%), and 3 (6%) were in postgraduate year 1 (PGY1), PGY2, PGY3, PGY4, PGY5, and PGY6, respectively. Twenty-nine completed the hands-on instruction, 28 (97%) of whom successfully passed the simulation-based assessment on their first attempt. Nineteen trainees previously credentialed to perform CVC placement without supervision opted out of the simulation-based experiential training. Of these, five (26%) failed in their first attempt (P = 0.02 vs. trainees who completed the simulation training).

Standardized simulation-based training can improve CVC insertion proficiency, even among trainees with previous experience sufficient to have been deemed competent in the procedure. Improved performance at simulation-based testing may translate to improved outcomes of CVC placement by trainees.