Who Trains the Trainers?: Development of a Faculty Bootcamp for Pediatric Emergency Medicine Resuscitation Procedures

Attending physicians in pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) must be able to perform lifesaving procedures, yet guidelines for maintaining procedural competency do not exist. We implemented a biannual 2-hour "bootcamp" designed to help PEM faculty maintain procedural competency.

A survey-based needs assessment was used to create a set of goals and objectives for the session and determine which procedural skills to include. Sessions of 4 simulated skills were held twice a year and limited to 12 faculty. Post-bootcamp evaluations were administered at the 1-year and 6-year marks to evaluate the usefulness of the training.

Twenty-eight of our 55 current faculty members (50%) responded to the 6-year follow-up evaluation. Overall, the bootcamp was felt to be beneficial, with 64% of faculty rating it "great" (5) or "highly useful" (6) on a 6-point Likert scale. The majority of participants also rated the airway, vascular access, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation/defibrillator training favorably. Faculty who later had the opportunity to perform specific resuscitation procedures clinically felt that the circulation (cardiopulmonary resuscitation/defibrillator) and airway stations contributed to the success of their procedure performance.

The clinical setting alone may be insufficient in maintaining procedural competency in lifesaving skills in PEM. Giving faculty the opportunity to practice these skills is feasible and can be effective in increasing confidence. Future training sessions should aim toward practicing to a defined mastery level.