Relationship between Executive Functions, Mindfulness, Stress, and Performance in Pediatric Emergency Simulations.

Kacper Łoś,Włodzimierz Łuczyński,Jacek Chmielewski

doi:10.3390/ijerph17062040

Kacper Łoś, Włodzimierz Łuczyński + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17062040

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Abstract

Over the past decade, high-fidelity medical simulation has become an accepted and widely used teaching method in pediatrics. Both simulation and work in the real conditions of emergency departments are accompanied by stress that affects the executive functions of participants. One of the methods for reducing stress among medical students and healthcare professionals is the practice of mindfulness. The aim of this study was to examine whether executive functions, mindfulness, and stress are related to the technical and non-technical skills of medical students participating in medical simulations in pediatrics. The study included 153 final-year medical students. A total of 306 high-fidelity simulations of life-threatening situations involving children were conducted. Results: Stress and the coping mechanism of the participants were correlated to their skills during pediatric simulations. Some components of mindfulness, such as non-judgment and conscious action, were positively related to the skills of medical team leaders. Executive functions correlated with the non-technical skills and mindfulness of the medical students. Conclusions: Stress, mindfulness, and executive functions modeled the behavior and skills of medical students during pediatric simulations of life-threatening events. Further research in this area may prove whether mindfulness training will improve learning outcomes in pediatric emergency medicine.

Highlights

Pediatric emergency medicine is a demanding field for young doctors and one in which knowledge, experience, and skills are essential
The study included 153 medical students, and each of them played the role of team leader twice
Using repeated high-fidelity pediatric simulations, we showed a relationship between features, such as stress, mindfulness, and executive functions (EFs), and the skills of final-year medical students

Summary

Introduction

Pediatric emergency medicine is a demanding field for young doctors and one in which knowledge, experience, and skills are essential. Both procedural and non-technical skills are important. Non-technical skills are known as teamwork skills and include leadership, teamwork, situational awareness (SA; avoiding fixation error), decision-making, resource management, safe practice, adverse event minimization, and professionalism [1]. Effective and safe teaching methods for these skills are sought, and one of them may be a high-fidelity medical simulation. Trauma management, procedural skills, and teamwork (non-technical skills) can be taught safely using this technique [3]. Due to its repeatability and the standardization of assessment methods, a high-fidelity pediatric simulation is a good tool for scientific research. Simulations can be useful to evaluate the personal characteristics that affect the behavior of the people involved [4]

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