Evaluating the effect of a scenario-based pre-hospital trauma management training course on the knowledge and clinical skills of emergency medical service students.

Abstract

Introduction: Implementing innovative educational methods is crucial for enhancing emergency technicians' knowledge and skills in providing fundamental care for trauma patients. This study aims to assess the impact of a scenario-based pre-hospital trauma management (PHTM) course on the knowledge and skill level of emergency medical system (EMS) students in Iran.

Methods: This semi-experimental, single-group pre-test-post-test study involved 25 emergency medical students participated in the PHTM training course. The students underwent two days of training (6 h per day) in a simulated, scenario-based environment across 5 stations, using realistic patients. The PHTM course knowledge assessment tool and a standard clinical skills checklist were used to collect data before and after the intervention.

Results: The results revealed that EMS students had an average level of trauma knowledge and clinical skills before the PHTM course, which significant improved to a desirable level after the intervention(P = 0.0001). The average skill level increased from 57.44 before the intervention to 122.24 afterward. The results also demonstrated that the interventions significantly improved students' skill levels in various PHTM domains, including trauma patient assessment, spinal motion restriction for sitting and lying positions, immobilization of injured long bones and joints, application of a traction splint, bleeding control and shock treatment, airway management, and ventilation/endotracheal intubation skills(P = 0.0001).

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that scenario-based and simulated training methods, as applied in the PHTM workshop, are effective in improving emergency medical students' knowledge and clinical skills for managing trauma patients.