Training effect on knowledge of new interns regarding urethral catheterization

Abstract

Introduction Complications from urethral catheterization (UC) increase hospital stay and costs. We aim to assess the knowledge of new interns at a university hospital and to study the effect of training in the short and long terms. Methods New medical interns (n = 40) at a university hospital were included. Using a pre-training survey, interns' needs and their confidence level (CL) about UC were assessed. They were divided into small groups. The workshop was divided into three educational parts (PowerPoint presentation, video demonstration, and simulation with peer feedback) and a final examination. At the end of the session, an evaluation questionnaire assessed satisfaction of interns, and their new CL about UC. A distant evaluation 6 months later, evaluated the number of UC performed, the failure and the complication rates, and the need for further training. Descriptive statistics and paired t-test were used with a confidence interval of 95% and a significant p-value < 0.05. Results Before the training 16% of new interns felt prepared to correctly perform UC, and the mean confidence level about the skill was 6.60 ± 1.79 over 10. Knowledge of participants about the different steps of UC was variable. At the end of the training 92% were highly satisfied. All of them rated the quality of training as good, and 97% stated that the training responded to their needs. A statistically significant improvement in CL of 2.05 points over 10 (SD = 2.03, 95% CI, 1.39 to 2.72, p < 0.05) was observed on paired samples t-test. A distant assessment 6 months later showed that 274 UC were performed from which 7% failed and 4% were complicated. Further training was requested by 42% of new interns. Conclusion The UC training conducted at our institution helped our interns become more confident regarding UC. Continuous training is necessary for skill optimization of interns.