Pediatric and neonatal intubation training gap analysis: instruction, assessment, and technology.

Abstract

Summary statement: Intubating adult patients presents numerous challenges for clinicians. Procedural complexities associated with performing pediatric and neonatal intubation, along with a lower frequency of a need for intubating pediatric and neonatal patients, further amplifies the difficulties associated with acquiring and maintaining relevant clinical skills. Clinicians must develop and maintain competency through training and continuing medical education. A systematic review was conducted through June 2012 to examine current instructional methods, assessment tools, and training models in pediatric and neonatal intubation training. Variability among the included literature on instruction, assessment, and models used to support training makes direct comparison problematic. The results of this review emphasize the need for improvement of current instructional methods to promote competency acquisition; development of valid, reliable assessment tools to evaluate clinician competency; and identification of a superior training model to promote acquisition and maintenance of skills associated with intubation of pediatric patients.