MedEdPORTAL (Aug 2013)
The Use of a Scavenger Hunt in CA-1 Orientation to Facilitate Rapid Identification and Location of Anesthetic Equipment
Abstract
Abstract Introduction At our institution, we became aware that several senior residents were unfamiliar with locations in which uncommonly used yet vital supplies were stored. We proposed to assess whether a scavenger hunt during clinical anesthesiology year 1 (CA-1) orientation would help new residents identify and locate necessary equipment and supplies in the operating room suites. Methods A list of items for incoming CA-1 residents to locate during the course of a scavenger hunt was created. Items chosen by the faculty organizers of the activity included those used for routine or emergency anesthesia care and those whose storage locations would introduce the residents to non-operative areas of the perioperative suite. As part of orientation at the beginning of July, all 17 members of our incoming CA-1 resident class participated in a scavenger hunt in which they were divided into teams and tasked with finding items stored in the perioperative area including equipment utilized in the practice of anesthesiology. The purpose of each item was reviewed with the group of CA-1 residents while the team scores were assessed. All residents completed a pretest, a posttest, and an evaluation form. Results The residents showed improvement in their knowledge of the location and function of anesthesia equipment after this activity. The averaged group score of 64.7% on the pretest increased to 100% on the posttest. Fourteen evaluations of the activity (82% of participants) were submitted. The residents gave the activity overall a mean rating of 4.86 on a five point scale (5 = Excellent). Thirteen of the 14 evaluations indicated a very high level of effectiveness (90%) in the activity's success in teaching them something new. Discussion At the conclusion of this activity, our residents admitted to a greater understanding of the location and identification of equipment in our operating room suites. Further, they believed this to be an excellent orientation activity.
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