Improved Nurse Readiness Through Pediatric Mock Code Training

Abstract

The proficiency of the nursing staff in pediatric resuscitation is limited when realistic and consistent practice is not provided. NADEL ET AL., 2000a, 2000b and Van Schaik, Von Kohorn, and O'Sullivan (2008) found that inpatient pediatric cardiopulmonary arrests are infrequent events (Nadel et al., 2000a, 2000b). However, this fortunate rarity places a significant burden on the staff responsible for the child to remain proficient in the skills needed. Staff and physician training, such as Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and mock codes, have been developed to address this problem. Gilfoyle, Gottesman, and Razack (2007); Smith and Crnkovic (1994); Toback, Fiedor, Kilpela, and Reis (2006); and Monachino (2005) have demonstrated that pediatric “mock code” training is a useful tool to improve the proficiency and confidence of physicians and staff in community hospitals and in the outpatient setting, as well as during residency training (Mikrogianakis et al., 2008). However, the proficiency of the nursing staff in pediatric resuscitation is limited when realistic and consistent practice is not provided. Limitations of mock code training include insufficient time and opportunity for training of staff and an insufficient number of qualified instructors. Gilfoyle et al. (2007) and van Schaik et al. (2008) demonstrated that during a mock code, chance dictates the opportunity to take part in simulated code scenario, and these scenarios are not availed by all participants. In a community hospital setting, pediatric or emergency physicians may not be immediately available. Therefore, the nursing staff needs to be thoroughly comfortable in initiating