Capturing the non-technical skills of a technical skills trainer (NTS-TeST) during simulation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Simulation
• Skill Assessment

Background:

• Effective feedback is crucial for skill acquisition in surgical training.
• Non-technical skills (NTS) are vital components of overall surgical competence.
• Existing assessment tools may not fully capture the nuances of NTS in simulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a comprehensive assessment instrument for NTS in surgical simulation.
• To create a feedback record for trainers focusing on non-technical skill development.
• To establish a tool for benchmarking the quality of technical skills simulation training.

Main Methods:

• A three-round development process involving endourological consultants and trainers.
• Modified Delphi process and relevance/practicability assessments.
• Pilot study with urology residents in a technical skills simulation session.

Main Results:

• The instrument demonstrated consistent, high positive averages across its four sections.
• Positive Spearman's correlation coefficients (0.02 to 0.64) confirmed content validity.
• Cronbach's alpha (0.70) indicated good validity and moderate reliability.

Conclusions:

• A novel Non-Technical Skills (NTS) instrument for trainers in simulation settings has been developed.
• The instrument is suitable for providing comprehensive feedback on NTS.
• This tool can be utilized to benchmark the quality of technical skills simulation training.