Rapid cycle deliberate practice improves and sustains paediatric resident PALS performance

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Simulation-Based Training

Background:

• Paediatric cardiopulmonary arrest resuscitation is a critical skill for clinicians.
• Knowledge and skills in resuscitation decay rapidly due to infrequent clinical application.
• Formal training requires effective methods to combat knowledge decay.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate knowledge and skill retention in paediatric resuscitation following training.
• To assess the effectiveness of rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP) in maintaining resuscitation skills.

Main Methods:

• A pilot, single-arm study involving 42 paediatric residents.
• Baseline assessment of resuscitation skills via simulated arrest scenarios.
• Individualized training using RCDP with frequent expert feedback.
• Retesting immediately post-training and at a 3-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Baseline PALS scores averaged 52%, improving to 94% immediately post-training.
• Performance remained high at 3 months, averaging 81%.
• Significant improvements were noted in communication, rhythm recognition, chest compressions, and medication administration.

Conclusions:

• RCDP training led to substantial improvements in simulated paediatric resuscitation performance.
• High retention of these skills and knowledge was observed at the 3-month mark.
• RCDP is an effective method for improving and sustaining critical resuscitation skills in paediatric residents.