A just-in-time peer driven critical care curriculum for emergency medicine residents in a covid-19 “hot zone”

ABSTRACT

Learning Objectives: After participating in this educational intervention, junior EM residents were able to discuss the basics of ventilator management and critical care pharmacology, as well as identify an approach to the deteriorating ventilated patient. Background: The rapid rise of COVID-19 cases posed a unique staffing challenge to residency programs. The addition of ICU assignments, particularly for junior residents who may not have had prior critical care exposure, led to the development of a just-in-time curriculum to address this training gap. Seniors residents, with ample and recent critical care experience, were in a unique position to provide education and guidance to junior learners. Educational Objectives: After participating in this educational intervention, junior EM residents were able to discuss the basics of ventilator management and critical care pharmacology, as well as identify an approach to the deteriorating ventilated patient. Curricular Design: Following Kern's six step approach (1) There was clear need due to the sheer volume of critically ill patients at our institution. (2) We developed areas of content focus through a needs-assessment directed at residents who had already begun managing critical COVID patients. (3) Objectives described above. (4) The curriculum included three lectures and three corresponding study guides for reference. The lectures were led by senior residents focused on creating a relaxed discussion-based learning environment. A critical care pharmacist collaborated on the module on sedative, paralytic, and vasopressor selection. (5) The curriculum was launched on April 10th and concluded April 23rd 2020. A virtual meeting platform was selected given the necessity of socially distant learning, and for ease of recording and re-distribution. (6) We will judge effectiveness with a knowledge based survey to measure understanding and retention. Impact 100% of interns attended at least one lecture. 13 of 16 interns provided feedback, giving an average rating of 4.77 (on a 5-point Likert scale) for how well the curriculum prepared them for the COVID ICU. We plan to administer a knowledge based survey 6-8 months post intervention, with completed results by CORD 2021.