Simulation-Based Discharge Education Program for Caregivers of Children With Tracheostomies

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Medical Simulation Education
• Caregiver Training

Background:

• Tracheostomy care in children requires specialized caregiver knowledge and skills.
• Existing training methods may not adequately prepare caregivers for complex tracheostomy management.
• Simulation-based education (SBE) offers a promising approach for skills acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, implement, and evaluate an SBE program for caregivers of children with tracheostomies.
• To assess the impact of SBE on caregiver comfort, confidence, and technical skills.
• To identify areas for improvement in SBE for pediatric tracheostomy care.

Main Methods:

• A pilot SBE program was delivered to 24 caregivers of children with tracheostomies.
• Caregiver comfort, confidence, and skills were assessed pre- and post-SBE using surveys and checklists.
• Paired t-tests and Spearman correlations were used for statistical analysis.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in self-reported comfort and confidence (P < .001) post-SBE.
• Checklist assessments showed significant improvement in most tracheostomy care skills (P < .001).
• Only 17% of caregivers achieved full checklist competency; critical skills like obturator removal remained challenging.

Conclusions:

• The SBE program successfully improved caregiver comfort, confidence, and skills in pediatric tracheostomy care.
• Further optimization and potentially additional SBE sessions are recommended to achieve complete skills competency.
• Future research should explore long-term impacts and peer support within SBE programs.