4.1 Article

Effects of Simulation Versus Traditional Tutorial-Based Training on Physiologic Stress Levels Among Clinicians: A Pilot Study

Journal

SIMULATION IN HEALTHCARE
Volume 5, Issue 5, Pages 272-278

Publisher

LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1097/SIH.0b013e3181e98b29

Keywords

Simulation; Physiologic stress; Salivary cortisol; Gastrointestinal endoscopy

Funding

  1. American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE)
  2. Center for the Critically Ill Child, Children's Hospital Boston Division of Critical Care Medicine

Ask authors/readers for more resources

Introduction: Emotionality and heightened anxiety during medical simulation encounters have been hypothesized to contribute to improved cognition and learning, but the overall stress dose response curve of experiential learning remains unclear. We sought to (1) identify the degree and time course of physiologic stress induced in physicians by simulation-based training (SBT), when compared with a traditional tutorial-based interactive-education training (IET) and (2) compare differences in stress responses to simulation activities among pediatric provider groups. Method: Twenty-seven gastroenterology physicians were randomized among six crisis resource management courses taught by SBT versus IET. Eleven RNs and four technicians participated in the SBT exercises. Heart rate (HR) and salivary cortisol (SC) levels were measured in all participants at four time points before, during, and after participation in the SBT sessions and at two time points before and after the IET sessions. Results: Physicians who underwent SBT (n = 13) demonstrated increased tachycardia at the end of the session (+ 17 beats/min), when compared with those in the IET group (n = 14) who demonstrated an overall negative response (-4 beats/min, P = 0.001). Similarly, physicians in the SBT group demonstrated increased SC (+0.140 mu g/dL, 70% over baseline), when compared with physicians in the IET group who had a median decrease in SC (-0.015 mu g/dL, 20% under baseline, P = 0.001). There were similar increases in HR in all participants after SBT, but technicians experienced a relatively smaller increase in SC compared with physicians and nurses. Conclusions: After high-fidelity SBT within the gastroenterology suite, clinicians independent of their role demonstrated increased physiologic stress levels-as measured by HR and SC levels-compared with traditional IET sessions. The study provides novel calibration data compared with a traditional baseline for future investigations aimed at further understanding the dose-response curve of simulation-based experiences to optimize emotionality, cognition, and learning. (Sim Healthcare 5:272-278, 2010)

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.1
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available