Simulation training for intravenous catheter placement
Abstract:
Introduction: Hands-on learning is described as one of the most important aspects of medical education, but most preclinical medical students are not exposed to skills such as intravenous cannulation (IVC) until the transition to clerkship period. An earlier introduction to a skill through simulation may improve performance as a student moves into the clinical setting. This study seeks to describe the impact of a single preclinical IVC session on skill retention in students entering the transition to clerkship.
Methods: The study is a prospective cohort analysis consisting of a trained group (TG) who attended an optional IVC skill session (n = 42) and a control group (CG) of randomly selected medical students who did not attend the session (n = 50). Six months after the session, the groups were video recorded performing IVC and graded by six blinded anaesthesiologists using a validated checklist. The primary outcome was the composite checklist score. Time to completion, successful cannulation, and number of attempts were secondary outcomes.
Results: The median composite checklist score, number of attempts, and successful cannulation were not significantly different between groups (p = 0.60, p = 0.13, p = 0.52). In a subgroup analysis of students who successfully cannulated, the time to complete was significantly shorter in the TG compared to the CG (p = 0.006).
Conclusion: Time to complete IVC was significantly reduced in the TG, demonstrating the long-term impact of a single preclinical skill session on student retention. Future studies should test students in the clinical setting utilising identical outcomes to provide further insight into the utility of preclinical skill simulation.
Reference:
Gibson MG, Terrell ZT, Burns JG, Neher SE, Bradley SL, Potnuru PP. Assessing Long-Term Skill Retention in Pre-Clerkship Medical Students Using Simulation Intravenous Catheter Placement: A Prospective Cohort Study. Clin Teach. 2025 Aug;22(4):e70127. doi: 10.1111/tct.70127. PMID: 40515368.