The Effect of Simulation Training in Anesthesia on Student Operational Performance and Patient Safety

Abstract

A veterinary anesthesia simulated environment (VASE) with clinical scenarios has been integrated into the pre-clinical curriculum at Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine to simulate anesthesia of a live patient within a surgical suite. Although this modality was shown to significantly improve veterinary students’ perceived preparedness to perform anesthesia on live patients, whether this would improve anesthesia competency in the actual clinical environment, described as operational performance, remained unclear. Our goal was to examine the relationship between anesthesia simulation training and student anesthesia operational performance. Anesthesia operational performance assessment of students was determined by quantifying critical event occurrences that negatively impacted patient safety during the anesthesia of 287 patients during students’ initial surgical experience in 2015 and 2016. The relationship between total numbers of critical incidents to students having anesthesia simulation training was determined through evaluation of anesthesia records from 2015 and 2016, where students did not have anesthesia simulation training or they had pre-clinical training, respectively. Results showed a significant relationship between simulation training and critical incident occurrence, with a critical incident more likely to occur during patient anesthesia for students who did not experience pre-clinical anesthesia simulation training. Of the total critical incidents that occurred in the two-year study, 88% were in patients anesthetized by students who did not have simulation training. Our findings suggest that students who were given the opportunity to participate in anesthesia-focused simulations before a live-animal anesthesia encounter demonstrated significant improvements in anesthesia operational performance and improved patient safety.

Practising with an obstetric box and a dummy improves students’ confidence in performing obstetric procedures involving large animals

“…In addition, preventing or reducing the pressure imposed on students is a valuable tool because this pressure can also influence student memory and learning 3 . According to Jones et al, 12 the students feel calmer and more confident in carrying out skills acquired through simulations, and these skills are brought into clinical care in real life, allowing students to feel greater calm and confidence and allowing a reduction in errors in the resolution of complications. Jesus et al 13 also observed that realistic simulation generates extensive knowledge for students regarding the development of competencies for critical reasoning, carrying out correct actions and correcting errors without compromising the lives of patients.…”

The Use of Simulators for Teaching Practical Clinical Skills to Veterinary Students — A Review

“…Many of the studies described in the reviewed articles appear to document that simulators can be used effectively to improve student skills in performing certain practical tasks. [29][30][31]34,[38][39][40]42,50,52,58,67,71,74,76,[80][81][82][83][84]86,88 The time taken to carry out a surgical procedure, as well as the respective performance scores of students using simulators, have been correlated with live surgical performance and procedure times. 15,89 Training on models has been shown to achieve learning outcomes that are equivalent 86 or superior 71,72,78,82 to those achieved through the use of cadaver or live animal practical classes.…”

Gamification as a tool to engage the next generation of vets with large animal medicine

“…However, the studies that have been carried out suggest that students who have undertaken such training perform better than those who have not. For example, one study demonstrated that anaesthesia simulation training in the preclinical veterinary curriculum significantly improved students' clinical competency and the safety of their patients 19 . In another study, students initially trained using a model were faster and more accurate when placing an intravenous catheter in a live horse than students who trained on a live horse 20 …”

“…For example, one study demonstrated that anaesthesia simulation training in the preclinical veterinary curriculum significantly improved students' clinical competency and the safety of their patients. 19 In another study, students initially trained using a model were faster and more accurate when placing an intravenous catheter in a live horse than students who trained on a live horse. 20 In conclusion, although veterinary virtual simulation tools are still in their infancy, they are already transforming veterinary education.…”