IN SITU SIMULATION OF IN-HOSPITAL CARDIAC ARREST TO IMPROVE RESIDENT PHYSICIAN CONFIDENCE AND PERFORMANCE

Background: In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) resuscitations at academic institutions are frequently led by resident physicians with one year of post-graduate training who have not received formal teamwork, communication, or leadership training.1-3 Resident physicians who respond to an IHCA are thus called upon to implement infrequently used, non-technical skills in an emergent situation with high mental workload and an ad hoc team. Recent studies have suggested that reinforcement of ACLS skills every two years is insufficient to maintain high-quality resuscitation practice.1,4-6 Brief, repeated, in-situ (i.e., workplace-based) resuscitation training, however, may lead to improved skill retention.7, 10-14 Cardiac arrest simulation is a well-established educational strategy for enhancing learner performance in resuscitation.7-9