(2016-06-07) Hasdianda, Mohammad; Gordon, James A.; Petrusa, Emil R.; Yule, Steven; Rahayu, Gandes R.
Background:
Acute stressors may be beneficial when embedded in simulation scenario to promote better skills retention. We aimed to establish the impact of acute stressors to medical students’ short-and long-term retention of intravenous catheterization skills.
Methods:
Forty-five participants took part in the intravenous catheterization simulation using standardized patients in treatment (Stress) and control (Non-Stress) groups. Participants were asked to complete State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and assessed on their skills performance before, shortly after and twenty days after the simulation session. We continuously recorded participants’ heart rate during the simulation.
Results:
No significant difference and interaction were found between pre-simulation, short-term, and long-term skills performance scores for both groups F(2, 84) = 1.231, p = 0.297. Analysis of average and maximum heart rate as well as anxiety scores was not statistically different between groups.
Conclusion:
Future study is needed to gain insight into sufficient amount of stressors needed to impact medical students’ skills retention.
