To sim or not to sim-choosing wisely for procedural skills training in paediatrics

Ali Al Maawali; Harish Amin; Krista Baerg; Mark Feldman; Fabian Gorodzinksy; Allan Puran; Adam Dubrowski; Zia Bismilla

doi:10.1093/pch/pxac010

To sim or not to sim-choosing wisely for procedural skills training in paediatrics

Paediatr Child Health. 2022 Apr 25;27(4):220-224. doi: 10.1093/pch/pxac010. eCollection 2022 Jul.

Authors

Ali Al Maawali¹, Harish Amin², Krista Baerg³, Mark Feldman¹, Fabian Gorodzinksy⁴, Allan Puran¹, Adam Dubrowski⁵, Zia Bismilla¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
² Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Health Services, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
³ Department of Paediatrics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ maxSIMhealth, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

Abstract

Objectives: Simulation is a commonly used modality to teach paediatric procedural skills, however, it is resource intensive. Which paediatric skills are best taught using simulation is not known. This study aims to examine what skills to simulate, allowing for the best use of resources in ever expanding curricula.

Method: We administered a questionnaire to community and hospitalist general paediatricians in Canada asking them to rate the importance of maintaining competency in each paediatric procedural skill and the frequency with which they perform the skill in their practice.

Results: Skills that were rated as highly important and also high frequency were: bag-mask ventilation (BMV), lumbar puncture, neonatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), specimen procurement for infectious diseases, immunization, and ear curettage. Skills that were rated as highly important but low frequency were: paediatric CPR, intraosseous needle insertion, neonatal intubation, defibrillation, gathering specimens for evidence of child maltreatment, paediatric intubation, cervical spine immobilization, and oral/nasogastric tube placement.

Conclusion: Paediatric procedural skills are rated variably in terms of importance and frequency of use in general paediatric practice. Eight skills of high importance are infrequently performed and should be targeted for teaching via simulation.

Keywords: Medical education; Procedural skills; Simulation.