Sticking It Straight: Pediatric Procedure Curriculum Initiative

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatric Residency Training
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Pediatric residents often lack procedural confidence and competency upon graduation.
• Institutional surveys confirmed a need for improved procedural skills training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance procedural confidence and competency in pediatric residents.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a mandatory longitudinal curriculum integrating simulation and online modules.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement intervention was implemented for pediatric residents (PGY 1-3).
• The curriculum combined online self-directed learning modules with hands-on simulation.
• Surveys assessed self-reported comfort levels on 12 procedures using a Likert scale before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase in mean comfort level for all procedures was observed (12.7% increase, P = 0.005).
• Comfort levels improved across all postgraduate year levels, with PGY1 residents showing a 21% increase.
• Pediatric residents reported a highly favorable experience with the simulation component.

Conclusions:

• A mandatory longitudinal procedural curriculum effectively improved pediatric residents' procedural comfort.
• Mastery learning simulation sessions combined with required online modules proved to be a productive curriculum design.