Abstract
PurposeThe quality of resuscitation and effective leadership are decisive for the outcome of a resuscitation. Nurses are usually the first responders upon cardiac arrest. Therefore, we started the “proficiency check” project, which aims to improve nurses' resuscitation and teamwork skills. This article describes the effectiveness of the proficiency check and nurses' experiences with it. Design and methodsThis study was done among intensive care nurses working on a pediatric ICU (PICU) in the Netherlands. It was designed as a mixed-methods study combining a quantitative and a qualitative approach. Quantitative data were obtained through a pre-posttest comparison of nurses' resuscitation and teamwork skills, in a simulation setting. Qualitative data on nurses' experiences were collected through semi-structured individual interviews. ResultsBoth resuscitation and teamwork skills improved significantly. In 39 nurses (32%), the improvement of both resuscitation and teamwork skills after the intervention was large (effect size >0.8). The experiences of nurses regarding the proficiency check were diverse: on the positive side, increased knowledge and confidence were reported, whereas negative experiences related, among other things, to stress and anxiety. ConclusionsResuscitation and teamwork skills of PICU nurses can be enhanced by the ‘proficiency check’ studied here. This simulation-based training can be further improved by incorporating the nurses' experiences. Practice implicationsA simulation-based assessment for resuscitation may play an important role in a PICU, and possibly for other skills and in other settings as well. Particular attention should be paid to the stress that many nurses experience due to skills assessment.
Highlights
The quality of resuscitation and effective leadership are decisive for the outcome of a resuscitation
We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the so-called proficiency check, which is a simulation based training (SBT) aimed at improving nurses' resuscitation and teamwork skills
Quantitative data were obtained through assessment of nurses' resuscitation and teamwork skills in a simulation setting before and after application of the proficiency check, using the newly developed and validated instrument named the Professional Assessment Tool for Team Improvement (PATTI©; see further below)
Summary
The quality of resuscitation and effective leadership are decisive for the outcome of a resuscitation. Conclusions: Resuscitation and teamwork skills of PICU nurses can be enhanced by the ‘proficiency check’ studied here This simulation-based training can be further improved by incorporating the nurses' experiences. Nurses working on the PICU of Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital are being trained in advanced pediatric life support skills (APLS) and in CRM, including SBT. This encompasses the training of teamwork skills, such as, leadership, communication, decision-making, and team situational awareness. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the so-called proficiency check, which is a SBT aimed at improving nurses' resuscitation and teamwork skills. We hypothesized that application of the proficiency check results in improved resuscitation skills and that nurses react positively to the proficiency check
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