Affiliation:
1. Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery University of California San Diego La Jolla California USA
2. Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson Mississippi USA
3. University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center La Jolla California USA
4. Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico USA
5. University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center Albuquerque New Mexico USA
6. Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery UCLA Health Los Angeles California USA
Abstract
AbstractObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of a hands‐on simulation‐based course with emphasis on procedural techniques, clinical reasoning, and communication skills developed to improve junior Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) residents' preparedness in managing otolaryngologic emergencies.MethodsJunior OHNS residents and faculty from residency programs in California, Nevada, and Arizona participated in this workshop in 2020 and 2021. The stations featured airway management techniques, ultrasound‐guided needle aspiration, nasoseptal hematoma evacuation, and facial fracture repair using various models and cadavers. Participants completed a pre‐workshop survey, post‐workshop survey, and 2‐month follow‐up survey that assessed resident anxiety and confidence in three OHNS emergency situations across knowledge, manual skills, and teamwork using a 5‐point Likert scale.ResultsPre‐workshop surveys reported the least anxiety and most confidence in teamwork, but the most anxiety and least confidence in technical skills and knowledge related to foreign body retrieval and airway management. Immediately post‐workshop participants reported significant reductions in anxiety and increases in confidence, largest in the manual skills domain, in foreign body retrieval (anxiety: −0.99, confidence: +0.95, p < .01) and airway management stations (anxiety: −0.68, confidence: +1.07, p < .01). Data collected for the epistaxis station showed decreasing confidence and increasing anxiety following the workshop.ConclusionOur findings demonstrate the effectiveness of a workshop in preparing junior residents in potentially lifesaving otolaryngologic techniques that residents will encounter. Optimizing use of simulation centered training can inform the future of residency education, improving confidence and decreasing anxiety in residents responsible for the safety of patients.Level of EvidenceIII.