WIP 71 - Impact of Neonatal Resuscitation Program Education by Deliberate Practice on Knowledge and Skill Retention in the Emergency Department

Publication Number: WIP 71.7633

Kathleen Tedesco, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Mugil V. Shanmugam, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Oak Park, CA, United States; Melissa L. Wilson, Melissa Lee Wilson, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Fiona Wertheimer, Keck School of Medicine of USC/Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Manoj Biniwale, Cedars Sinai Medical Canter, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Background: Emergency medicine residents are required to have the skills for resuscitating newborn infants after unexpected delivery. These skills are rarely taught or practiced making it difficult for them to retain. It is known that retention of Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) skills declines over time. Education strategies such as deliberate practice (DP) and spaced learning have been shown to improve retention in resuscitation education. DP is a framework for mastery learning involving motivated learners, clear objectives, and focused and repetitive practice. The effectiveness of DP at improving NRP performance in the short-term has been evaluated and has shown favorable outcomes, but it has not been studied to see if it is more effective in retention of NRP skills and knowledge over time.

Objective: This study aims to address the gap in NRP training among emergency medicine residents by evaluating the effectiveness of rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP) compared to post-simulation debrief. The primary goal is to assess whether RCDP enhances retention of NRP skills and knowledge over a 6-month period.

Design/Methods: This is a prospective randomized controlled study at Los Angeles General Medical Center. The study has received IRB approval and funding from the AAP NRP Human Factors and Education Grant and the Western APPD Grant. Emergency Medicine residents with no prior NRP training were enrolled and randomized into two groups. The intervention arm received NRP training in the style of RCDP, and the control arm received the current standard method (8th edition) of NRP training, post-simulation debrief. Participants completed a pre-training survey to assess their demographics, experience in, and confidence with resuscitation, as well as a baseline knowledge quiz. The 3- and 6- month follow up simulation and quiz assessments are underway and will be completed by February. The simulations are graded by two blinded NPR instructors using a validated scoring tool.