Simulation-based and Problem-based Learning for Difficult Airway Management

Teaching and learning of difficult airway management are considered to be an essential skill in anesthesiology. As a result, doctors and nurses in anesthesia have to be vigilant in every step including airway assessment, equipment preparation and strategic planning of the process. During the one-year training program, nurse anesthetist students intensively study theories and practical skills in anesthesia, using manikins to living patients. Difficult airway management has become a distinguished means in the training curriculum. In addition, the educational tool in the anesthesia curriculum is typically simulation-based learning (SBL) and problem-based learning (PBL) courses. As a result, we designed a cross-over study to determine the learning achievement of nurse anesthetist students in difficult airway management. The objectives were to study the learning achievement and relative growth of knowledge of the two learning techniques: SBL and PBL. Thirty-six nurse anesthetist students in Academic Year 2015, volunteered to join the study project. After signing the consent form, they were randomly put into two groups: A (n = 17) and B (n = 19). As designed by the cross-over study, students in group A attended SBL and after 6 weeks, they focused on PBL, and vice versa for group B. The 40-item, multiple choices exam was developed in regard to difficult airway management guidelines. The correctness and appropriateness of the test (content validity) were determined by three board-certified anesthesiologists. The try out of the test was performed by 10 novice nurse anesthetists. The index of item objective congruence was 0.82 with Kuder Richardson 21 of 0.8. The assessed criterion-referenced item difficulty and discrimination index were 0.4-0.6 and 0.6-0.8 respectively. The pretest (X1, X2) were post-test ((Y1, Y2) were performed in the consequence. The relative growth of knowledge (G1, G2) was calculated as follows: G1 = 100 (Y1 - X1) / (F - X1) % G2 = 100 (Y2 - X2) /