Background: This study aimed to design a suitable integrated extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) curriculum and assessed the impact of this a high-fidelity simulation-based education module on novice learners.
Methods: An ECMO training curriculum was developed by well-trained and experienced ECMO experts that incorporated simulation modules to train multidisciplinary health care professionals. Pre- and post-participation questionnaires were used to determine the effects on the knowledge, ability, and confidence level of the participants. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess the participants regarding the ECMO practical test.
Results: The study enrolled 37 participants (10 doctors, 27nurses). 67.6% (25/37) of trainees didn’t have ECMO experience. All two questionnaires were completed by 37 participants. A five-point Likert scale on practical test was finished by 4 ECMO experts. All participants passed the written and practical tests. All the responding participants thought the curriculum was useful in improving their perception of their overall knowledge and their ability to perform the required critical performance criteria on simulated ECMO. 91.9% (34/37) trainees thought that they invested more in active learning during the whole course; 60% (22/37) of them achieved a good level of technical evaluation. On the other hand, 67.6% (25/37) of the trainees have shown a good self-confidence in the priming course; however, 43.2% (16/27) trainees still needed to strengthen their overall competence in ECMO management.
Conclusions: The integration of traditional teaching and high-fidelity simulation teaching can effectively improve the ECMO monitoring level and management skills of novice learners, but whether this training mode can be successfully transferred to the clinical field needs further research and confirmation.