Do interprofessional simulations increase knowledge retention and perceptions of teamwork skills in a surgical trauma burn ICU setting?

Background: The ability to function proficiently in critical care relies on knowledge, technical skills, and interprofessional (IP) teamwork. Integration of these factors can improve patient outcomes. Simulation provides “hands-on” practice and allows for the integration of teamwork into knowledge/skill training. However, simulation requires a significant investment of time, effort, and financial resources.
Purpose: To 1) evaluate knowledge retention and analyze changes in perceptions of teamwork amongst nurses and resident physicians (RPs) in a STBICU setting after completion of an interprofessional critical event simulation, and 2) provide insight for future interprofessional simulations, including the ideal frequency of such training.
Design: A comparison-cohort pilot study was developed to evaluate knowledge retention, and analyze changes in perceptions of teamwork.
Methods: A one-hour critical event interprofessional simulation was held for nurses and RPs in a STBICU setting. The simulation required the team to employ interventions to reduce elevated ICPs, and then perform cardiac resuscitation according to ACLS guidelines. A semi-structured debriefing guided by the TENTS tool, highlighted important aspects of teamwork. Participants took knowledge and TSS pretests, posttests, and one-month posttests. Mean scores were calculated for each time point (pre, post, and one-month post) and paired t-tests were used evaluate changes.
Results: Mean knowledge test and TSS scores both significantly elevated after the simulation, and remained significantly elevated at one-month follow-up.
Conclusion: Significant improvements on both knowledge test, and TSS scores, demonstrate the effectiveness of this intervention, and retention of the improvements. Participants valued the intervention and recommended to increase the frequency of such training.