An active-learning laboratory focused on critical care topics

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Medical Simulation
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Traditional didactic methods may not fully prepare students for critical care scenarios.
• Active learning and simulation are increasingly recognized as vital pedagogical tools in medical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an active-learning laboratory on third-year pharmacy students' knowledge, skills, and confidence in critical care.
• To assess student perceptions of a hands-on critical care skills laboratory.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-eight third-year pharmacy students participated in a critical care laboratory with stations for ACLS, RSI, and toxicology.
• Pre- and post-laboratory assessments measured knowledge and confidence.
• Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and McNemar test.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in overall knowledge and confidence scores was observed post-laboratory.
• All students successfully demonstrated proficiency in ABBOJECT® syringe assembly.
• The majority of students rated the laboratory as excellent or good for understanding critical care topics.

Conclusions:

• A hands-on, active-learning laboratory effectively enhances student knowledge and confidence in essential critical care skills.
• Simulation-based training is a valuable method for reinforcing critical care concepts such as ACLS and RSI.