Validating a Simulated Emergency Course for Nurses Working in ENT.

Abstract

Nurses are increasingly providing routine and emergency ENT care; yet there are often limited training opportunities. The aim of this study was to validate an intensive 1-day ENT emergency simulation course for nurses. The course included short lectures, practical skills stations and mannequin simulation scenarios. Sixteen nurse participants were video-recorded managing simulated scenarios before and after the course. Two assessors scored individual participant performance on a 15-point competency grid (maximum score 30), blinded to the timing of the recording. Participants also rated their confidence and skill before and immediately following the course across 11 items using a 5-point Likert score (maximum score 55). Blinded assessor ratings for performance were significantly improved after the course compared to baseline (overall score 12 vs 7, respectively; P = .015). There was strong assessor inter-rater reliability (R = 0.965). Self-rated skills and confidence also increased following the course (46.7 vs 24.4 at baseline; P < .01). Simulation-based training is an effective and desirable method of teaching ENT emergency management to nurses, with greatest impact on participant confidence. Future courses need to refine the content and increase the validation sample size using a nurse-specific scoring system.