Implementing a Multidisciplinary Trauma Simulation Curriculum for Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellows

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Trauma Surgery

Background:

• Unintentional injury is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality.
• Pediatric trauma resuscitation training is mandated but lacks established best practices.
• Existing pediatric trauma training data is limited, highlighting a need for improved curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify knowledge gaps in pediatric trauma training.
• To implement and evaluate a novel trauma simulation curriculum for Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) fellows.
• To assess changes in fellows' comfort levels with trauma skills post-curriculum implementation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Kern's 6-step model for curriculum design.
• Conducted a needs assessment across PEM faculty, fellows, pediatric surgery, and nursing staff.
• Implemented a year-long curriculum with 11 simulation cases and 3 didactic sessions, assessed via pre/post surveys (Kirkpatrick levels 1 & 2).

Main Results:

• Fellows showed significantly improved comfort with overall technical skills (P < 0.05).
• Statistically significant gains were observed in traction splint application and initiating massive transfusion protocols (P < 0.05).
• Positive trends noted in skills like vascular access, pelvic binder placement, ICP management, and leadership, though faculty perceptions showed no significant change.

Conclusions:

• The developed longitudinal pediatric trauma curriculum shows promise for enhancing fellow competency.
• The study demonstrated improved fellow comfort in trauma resuscitation, particularly technical skills, at Kirkpatrick Level 1.
• Future research should focus on larger sample sizes, refined skills assessment, and broader trauma team inclusion.