[Onboarding in intensive care and emergency medicine in Germany]

The treatment of acute life-threatening conditions in intensive care and emergency medicine requires in-depth training and education, with initial training playing a key role.

What is the structure and quality of the initial training of physicians and nurses in intensive care units and emergency departments in Germany?

With the help of survey software, an online questionnaire comprising 40 questions in German on the aforementioned topic was designed. It was distributed via the website of the German Society for Internal Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DGIIN) and via pertinent social media channels.

In total, 103 nurses and 125 physicians participated in the survey. The average work experience of the participating nurses and physicians was 8.5 ± 5.1 and 3.0 ± 3.1 years, respectively. The majority of participants worked primarily in intensive care units (59%) or in emergency departments (22%). On average, the initial training lasted 45 ± 27 and 13 ± 13 days for nurses and physicians, respectively. Only 20% of the initial training comprised seminars or hands-on workshops taught outside of routine clinical care. In all, 47% of the participants stated that they were not able to complete the entire initial training period. Only 49% had been officially certified for usage of the technical equipment in their department. A total of 35% reported feeling confident or somewhat confident in handling predictable tasks after initial training, but only 15% in handling acute emergencies.

The present study revealed that initial training in intensive care and emergency medicine is frequently incomplete, unstructured, as well as inadequate and bears both safety and liability risks. New concepts are needed to improve the initial training across clinics.