Implementation of Pediatric Resuscitation Training to Improve TEAM Performance and Patient Outcomes

The ability to provide rapid resuscitation to a child in cardiopulmonary arrest is extremely vital to the survival of the patient. For pediatric patients that sustain cardiopulmonary arrests in-hospital, the chance of survival to discharge is about 23% to 37%. To add to the problem, there are limited opportunities in clinical practice for health professionals to achieve competency in resuscitation, due to the infrequency of cardiopulmonary arrests in children. In addition, a previous study has reported resuscitation knowledge and skills significantly diminishes 6 months after training.

Purpose: The proposed intervention plan will follow current evidence-based practice and create a training program in pediatric hospitals that consists of frequent mock codes on site. The training will focus on multi-disciplinary team building, where each health professional will participate in at least two training sessions per year. Debriefing and peer-to-peer feedback will occur after the mock codes to evaluate team performance and identify areas of improvement.

Objectives include (1) frequent mock code simulations to increase participants’ retention of resuscitation knowledge and performance, (2) maximize the realism by conducting the mock codes in situ on high-fidelity manikins, (3) increase teamwork by mandating participation from every disciplinary including but not limited to pediatric fellows, residents, physicians, nurses, nurse supervisors, respiratory therapists, and pharmacists, and (4) improve survival to discharge rates for pediatric patients with cardiopulmonary arrest.

Methods: Quasi-experimental prospectively controlled study. The training program will The proposed timeline for implementation of the training program is 5 years.

Results: To evaluate the success of the program, the participants will complete pre and post surveys to self-evaluate their individual performance and competency. Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory will be used as the conceptual framework. The ultimate goal is to provide persistent resuscitation opportunities for health care professionals to boost self-efficacy, elevate team performance, and increase patient survival rate to 45% to 55%. 

Conclusion: Further research is needed to determine the efficacy of the proposed intervention plan to best improve patient outcomes.