Ultrasound in pediatric emergency medicine simulation: evaluation of a longitudinal curriculum

Pediatric resuscitations involving shock and trauma are rare but they are high-stakes events in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Effective use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can expedite diagnosis and treatment in such cases. This study aimed to assess the impact of a longitudinal pediatric emergency medicine simulation curriculum and high-fidelity POCUS simulator on residents' clinical practice, comfort level, and motivation to learn resuscitative ultrasound.

This mixed-methods study involved 12 pediatric emergency medicine residents who participated in a 12-month simulation curriculum integrating resuscitative ultrasound. The POCUS simulator was integrated and made available for use during all simulations. Assessment and program evaluation occurred at multiple levels, according to Kirkpatrick's hierarchy, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The residents were surveyed at baseline, 4, 8 and 12 months. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the end of the 12-month study period.

Twelve residents participated in 23 simulation cases over the 12-month longitudinal curriculum. The hybrid POCUS simulator was used by participants in 18/23 (78.2%) cases. Comparing pre- and post-curriculum changes, large effect sizes were seen in residents' comfort using ultrasound in resuscitation (including in cases of trauma and undifferentiated shock). Accordingly, the mean number of POCUS scans performed per resident clinically on shift increased from a mean (SD) of 5.7 (± 2.3) scans/month to 12.4 (± 5.1) scans/month. Qualitative analysis highlighted several themes, including the value of simulation for teaching the integration of resuscitative ultrasound in high-acuity low-occurrence events and the effect of repeat exposures to resuscitative ultrasound.

Our study demonstrated that a longitudinal, simulation-based curriculum focused on resuscitative ultrasound increased residents' confidence, their motivation and likelihood of using these skills in the clinical setting. Repeated simulation exposures to resuscitative ultrasound can help participants translate this critical skill into use at the bedside, especially in high-acuity low-occurrence events.