A Mastery Learning Module on Sterile Technique to Prepare Graduating Medical Students for Internship

Sterile technique is a basic technical skill used for a number of bedside procedures. Proper use of sterile technique improves patient safety by reducing infection risk.

We applied the principles of mastery learning to develop a simulation-based mastery learning module for sterile technique that was used as part of a 2-week internship preparatory course for fourth-year medical students. Forty-one medical students entering surgical or emergency medicine internships completed the module. Learners demonstrated baseline skills with a pretest, watched a didactic online video, participated in supervised deliberate practice sessions, and then completed a posttest. Physicians evaluated performance using a nine-item mastery checklist validated by a multispecialty panel of board-certified physicians. Learners who did not demonstrate mastery by correctly performing all nine checklist items received formative feedback and repeated the posttest as needed until mastery was achieved.

No learners demonstrated mastery of sterile technique during pretesting. A total of 100% of learners demonstrated mastery of sterile technique during either their first or second attempt of the posttest. The learners reported statistically significantly higher levels of confidence at the end of the module.

Our module highlights the skills gap that exists in the transition from undergraduate to graduate medical education and offers a cheap, effective, and easily reproducible curriculum for sterile technique that could be widely adopted for many learner populations.