Context: Simulation-based education can enhance medical students’ understanding of clinical concepts as they learn the key elements needed to treat patients with various medical conditions. The integration of simulation programs into medical school curricula increases students’ exposure to this type of learning.
Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of simulation activities on medical students’ perceptions of understanding cardiac rhythm identification and the pharmacology skills necessary to manage a stable patient with cardiac arrhythmia.
Methods: A retrospective secondary data analysis was conducted utilizing a quasi-experimental one-group pretest/posttest study of a convenience sample of 159 second-year medical students in the southeastern United States during the 2017–2018 academic year. Because this was a one-group pretest/posttest study, only second-year medical students whose data could be matched were included. A 5-point Likert scale, previously developed as part of the clinical skills course, was utilized to collect ordinal understanding of cardiac rhythm identification and the pharmacologic management of a stable patient with cardiac arrhythmia. The intervention was an 18-min simulated patient encounter involving a high-fidelity mannequin (SimMan 3G or Essential) with supraventricular tachycardia.
Results: Of the 159 students, the number of students who reported a good perception of understanding of cardiac rhythm identification presimulation activity increased from 44.0% (70) to 52.2% (83) postsimulation activity. The number who reported a good perception of understanding of the pharmacologic management of a stable patient with cardiac arrhythmia presimulation increased from 37.7% (60) to 49.1% (78) postsimulation. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test model was fitted to examine improvements in perceptions of understanding of cardiac rhythm identification and the pharmacologic management of cardiac arrhythmia. The results suggested that participation in simulation activities elicited a statistically significant improvement in the students’ perceptions of understanding of cardiac rhythm identification and the pharmacologic management of cardiac arrhythmia (p=0.000).
Conclusions: As medical education continues to evolve, simulation-based education may be helpful in enhancing medical students’ understanding of cardiac rhythm identification and the pharmacology skills necessary to manage a stable patient with cardiac arrhythmia.