Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the self-perceived impact of attending a simulation-based training course
on the management of real-life obstetrical emergencies.
Study design
A prospective follow-up study was conducted. Obstetric nurses and obstetricians (n = 54) from a tertiary care university hospital participated in a simulation-based training
course for the management of four obstetric emergencies. One year after the last session
of the course, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire evaluating the
self-perceived impact it had on their knowledge, technical skills, and teamwork skills
during experienced real-life situations. A five-point Likert grading scale was used.
The χ2 test with one degree of freedom or the Fisher's exact test were used to compare groups
of participants. The t-test for independent samples was used to compare mean scores between groups.
Results
A total of 46 healthcare professionals answered the questionnaire: 27 obstetricians
and 19 obstetric nurses. Of these, 87% perceived an improvement (scores 4 or 5) in
their knowledge and skills during real emergencies. Obstetric nurses expressed a significantly
higher improvement than obstetricians in their ability to diagnose or be aware of
obstetrical emergencies (p = 0.002), in their technical skills (p = 0.024), and in their ability to deal with teamwork related issues (p = 0.005). Participants who had experienced in real-life situations all four simulated
scenarios rated the impact of training significantly higher than others (p = 0.049), and also reported a better improvement in their knowledge of management guidelines
(p = 0.006).
Conclusions
Healthcare professionals who participated in a simulation-based training course in
obstetrical emergencies perceived a substantial improvement in their knowledge and
skills when witnessing real-life emergencies. Improvements seem to be particularly
relevant for obstetric nurses and for those who witness all trained obstetrical emergencies.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 29, 2011
Accepted:
July 11,
2011
Received in revised form:
June 28,
2011
Received:
March 14,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
