Teaching Module on Ultrasound-Guided Venous Access Using a Homemade Gel Model for Fourth-Year Medical Students

Evidence supports an ultrasound-guided approach in patients with difficult vascular access. Prior research on teaching ultrasound-guided intravenous access has included only small groups of first- and second-year medical students.

We enrolled fourth-year medical students in our teaching module. The module featured a 6-minute prelearning narrated lecture and 5-minute orientation, followed by ultrasound-guided IV placement on homemade gel models. Facilitators were emergency medicine (EM) residents with a prespecified level of procedural ultrasound skills according to EM milestones. Students completed pre- and postmodule surveys. Facilitators completed the Directly Observed Procedural Skills Evaluation. Primary outcomes included global rating, proficiency on six procedural skills, and perceived learning.

Our module was completed by 150 fourth-year medical students (94% of the class); 84% cannulated the vein in one attempt. We used a global rating scale to describe the students' cannulation abilities; 59% were trusted to perform this procedure with direct supervision and coaching, 29% with indirect supervision, and 8% without supervision. There was no association between a student's order of attempting IV access within the group and global rating (p = .41). Students reported increased understanding of indications, antecubital anatomy, sonographic anatomy, and procedural comfort (12%, 29%, 38%, and 65% improvement pre- vs. postmodule, respectively; p < .001).

Our module enabled more than one-third of fourth-year medical students to achieve an indirect supervision or better level of proficiency in ultrasound-guided IV access, with significant improvements in perceived knowledge. This module may be useful for other educators facilitating the transition to residency.