Procedure Training Workshop: Enhancing Resident Experience and Enthusiasm for Ultrasound-guided Bedside Procedures

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires internal medicine (IM) residents to perform procedures considered "essential for the area of practice." However, no guidelines or best practices exist for teaching these skills. To address this gap, a procedure training workshop (PTW) was developed.

IM residents attended a PTW where they practiced paracenteses, lumbar punctures (LPs), and central venous catheter (CVC) placement on ultrasound-compatible task trainers. The PTW was assessed using pre- and post-session tests and surveys. To evaluate translation into clinical practice, procedure volume, success rates, and immediate complications were tracked.

Following implementation of the PTW, resident knowledge assessment scores increased from 67.4% to 84.1% (p < 0.001). More residents reported feeling "well-prepared" to perform or "teach others" procedures (CVC 69% from 31%, p < 0.01; LP 71% from 8%, p < 0.05; paracentesis 80% from 28%, p < 0.05) and able to perform all steps without assistance or model (CVC 54% from 28%; LP 49% from 17%, p < 0.01; paracentesis 66% from 25%, p < 0.01). Paracenteses increased from 71 (2020) to 119 (2021) to 143 (2024), while LPs increased from 87 (2020) to 156 (2021) to 135 (2024). Success rates remained stable across procedures: paracentesis (91.5% to 94.1% to 93.7%), LP (58.6% to 55.8% to 52.6%), and CVC placement (95.5% to 97.6% to 94.9%).

PTW is a valuable half-day session that equips early residents with essential procedural knowledge and hands-on practice that translates into sustained increases in bedside procedure volume.