Impact of Bedside Laparotomy Simulation and Microlearning on Trauma Nurse Role Clarity, Knowledge, and Confidence

The care of patients undergoing low-volume, high-risk emergency procedures such as bedside laparotomy (BSL) remains a challenge for surgical trauma critical care nurses.

This study evaluates simulation and microlearning on trauma nurse role ambiguity, knowledge, and confidence in caring for patients during emergency BSL.

The study is a single-center, prospective pretest-posttest design conducted from September to November 2022 at a Level I trauma center in the Mid-Atlantic United States using simulation and microlearning to evaluate role clarity, knowledge, and confidence among surgical trauma intensive care unit (STICU) nurses. Participants, nurses from a voluntary convenience sample within a STICU, attended a simulation and received three weekly microlearning modules. Instruments measuring role ambiguity, knowledge, and confidence were administered before the simulation, after, and again at 30 days.

From the pretest to the initial posttest, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) Role Ambiguity scores increased by 1.0 (1.13) (p < .001), and at the 30-day posttest, improved by 1.33 (1.5) (p < .001). The median (IQR) knowledge scores at initial posttest improved by 4.0 (2.0) (p < .001) and at the 30-day posttest improved by 3.0 (1.75) (p< .001). The median (IQR) confidence scores at initial posttest increased by 0.08 (0.33) (p = .009) and at the 30-day posttest improved by 0.33 (0.54) (p = .01).

We found that simulation and microlearning improved trauma nurse role clarity, knowledge, and confidence in caring for patients undergoing emergency BSL.