Evaluation of Simulation-based Training in Airway Management among Maiden Workshop Participants in Enugu, Nigeria: A Mixed-method Study

Abstract

Context: Simulation-based training is a growing format in healthcare education in Nigeria. So far, most evaluation of the outcome have been limited to the usual pre- and post- tests of knowledge acquisition.

Objective: To evaluate our simulation-based airway training, identify the challenges and their potential solutions.

Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu in April, 2024; seven months after the maiden simulation-based airway workshop. We applied the 4-level Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation to assess the outcome of the workshop. The attendees of the aforementioned simulation-based airway management workshop were invited as participants for the workshop evaluation. A mixed-method research design encompassing focus-group discussions and questionnaire-based survey was used for data collection.

Results: Twenty-nine respondents completed the questionnaire-based survey (six anaesthesia fellows, fifteen residents, eight anaesthetic technicians). Only seventeen respondents (58.6%) have had previous exposure to manikin-based training. The overall satisfaction rating with the SBT was 82.3±11.0 [0-100 scale]. The perceived learning from the SBT was adjudged to be greater in technical skills and knowledge than communication skills. Following the training, the trainees’ behaviour improved with the regular provision and use of gum-elastic bougies during endotracheal intubation. While most participants expressed the desire for more frequent training, some recommended the use of manikins with difficult airway as the means to enhance the SBT.

Conclusion: The training positively impacted on the trainees’ learning and behaviour. Most respondents requested more frequent training sessions as the means of enhancing the training