Marissa Parrillo, DO
Pediatric Chief Resident
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Worcester, Massachusetts
Disclosure information not submitted.
Adriana Chou, MD,
Resident
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Worcester, Massachusetts
Disclosure information not submitted.
Amanda Johnson, MD
Assistant Professor
University of Massachusetts Medical School, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Stacey Valentine, MD
Associate Professor, Attending Physician
University of Massachusetts Boston, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Scot Bateman, MD
Professor
University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Inc, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Title: PICU PREP ROTATION – PREPARING FIRST YEAR PEDIATRIC RESIDENTS TO WORK IN THE PICU
Introduction: Most pediatric residents have limited exposure to critical care medicine prior to their first rotation in the PICU. The University of Massachusetts Pediatric Residency Program has a unique PICU preparation rotation (“PICU Prep”) for first year residents, with a curriculum focused on exposing residents to patients, improving their clinical skills, and helping them feel prepared to manage critically ill children. Currently, PICU Prep has an informal structure with a variety of clinical learning opportunities but no structured didactics. Our goal is to determine resident satisfaction with the rotation, evaluate resident perceived preparedness to work in the PICU, and develop an assessment to improve overall quality and experience.
Methods: An anonymous six-question survey was sent to a total of 16 residents who rotated through PICU Prep during their first year of residency. Two questions used a five-point Likert scale to assess 1) resident satisfaction with the rotation and 2) sense of preparedness to work in the PICU. One open-ended question allowed for feedback on the rotation. Three questions used a multiple-choice needs assessment to evaluate areas for improvement in the rotation. With regards to the Likert scales, a score greater than or equal to 4/5 was indicative of satisfaction with the rotation and feeling prepared to work in the PICU. Scores below 4/5 were suggestive of low satisfaction and not feeling prepared.
Results: A total of 9 residents responded. Of these, 44.4% (N=4) were satisfied with PICU Prep compared to 55.5% (N=5) who were unsatisfied. Among residents, 66.6% (N=6) felt prepared to start working in the PICU, while 33.3% (N=3) felt unprepared. Subjects showed a preference for more structured organization, more designated learning time, and increased participation in managing critically ill patients. Residents requested more teaching and exposure to topics including ventilators, DKA, sedation, and sepsis.
Conclusions: Overall, less than half of the residents were satisfied with the current PICU Prep rotation, but 66.6% still felt prepared for their first clinical rotation in the PICU. In the future, we plan to revise the current PICU Prep curriculum to include formal didactics and more direct patient care, then we will evaluate any changes in resident satisfaction and preparedness.