Evaluating the Impact of Intensive Care Unit Rotations During the Pediatric Clerkship

Given rising demand for clinical placements, intensive care unit (ICU) rotations offer an attractive option for inpatient experience during clerkships. However, their educational value at the clerkship level remains underexplored. We examined the experiences and self-perceived educational impacts of pediatric and neonatal ICU (PICU and NICU) rotations for pediatric clerkship students.

We conducted a mixed-methods study of pediatric clerkship students at a single academic institution. Data sources included voluntary focus groups, a voluntary entrustable professional activity (EPA) preparedness survey, and mandatory rotation evaluations. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and comparatively between ICU and ward rotations; qualitative data were analyzed with inductive thematic analysis.

We conducted three focus groups and one interview and collected 24 preparedness surveys (49.1% response rate) from September 2022 to March 2023. We also collected 131 ICU rotation evaluations (100%), and 128 ward rotation evaluations (97%) from January 2022 to March 2023. Quantitative data showed that while PICU rotations were comparable to ward rotations in EPA preparedness and overall quality, NICU rotations rated worse in both areas. Three qualitative themes were identified: (1) ICU rotations taught students some foundational skills but fell short on the skills they valued most; (2) early ICU exposure provided benefits beyond skill acquisition; and (3) perceptions of team inclusion shaped students' learning experience.

PICU rotations may offer a high-quality alternative to ward placements, helping alleviate clinical site shortages. However, inconsistent student inclusion remains a key barrier. Institutions implementing ICU clerkship rotations should collaborate with ICU educators to define student roles and promote inclusive team dynamics.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-025-02548-9.