Anesthesia clinical performance outcomes: does teaching method make a difference?

The purpose of this study was to compare traditional methods of instruction to the use of audiovisual patient safety vignettes in terms of their impact on student registered nurse anesthetists' recall and subsequent clinical performance. These vignettes used simulated, crisis-oriented anesthetic events known to be associated with catastrophic patient outcomes. Using a randomized controlled crossover trial, 24 student registered nurse anesthetists encountered either a malfunctioning suction device vignette or a stuck expiratory unidirectional valve vignette. Recall and clinical performances were measured after exposure to a lecture and written case studies or to lecture and patient safety vignettes. Of the 24 students, 23 were able to recognize the malfunctioning components and take corrective action. In this research study, memory and clinical performance were significantly affected when the anesthesia provider incorporated the correct anesthesia apparatus checkout process and crisis management skills into practice. This research demonstrated that under the conditions of this study, teaching methods had an impact on some areas of clinical performance. In this study, crisis-oriented, anesthesia patient safety vignettes had the potential to affect recall and clinical performance in a simulated environment.