Shaping Learning Environment at the Workshop of Medical Emergencies that will Boost Acquisition of Skills through Perception of Success and Growing Proficiency in Students’ Mind

Background and aim of study:

Recognition of student’s accomplishments imparts friendly and supportive features to learning environment. Rewarded achievement is a leverage of educational framework, which builds up the ground for individuals, team and teachers themselves to attain better proficiency. But this powerful tool requires efforts of a teacher to recognize challenges, to set up objectives, to find the way, how to bridge the gaps in students’ minds. To feel valued is extremely important for those who fall behind others in learning subject and acquiring skills. The empirical study purported to assess validity of teaching approaches used at workshops on medical emergencies and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of an adult and newborn.

Research methods:

The settings of training sessions on medical emergencies and CPR for medical students of 6th year (S), interns (I) on Ob&Gyn and junior obstetrician- gynaecologists (JD) under 5 years into practice were under scrutiny of prospective observational study, which encompassed 2014-2019. Groups of S, I and JD were randomly picked up and then passed questionnaire twice: in the beginning of the course and in the end (final accrual constituted 147 S, 61 I and 28 JD. Relationship inside of groups (competition, team- building, hostility, networking, mutual support, fragmentation and alienation) and individual achievements (progress in acquiring particular skill) were examined and evaluated. Teaching approaches were used regarding stage of a workshops (reinforcement of emotional-volitional positive attitude to the skill on training for shaping motivation; stimulation of curosity and cooperation during performances’ drilling). Meeting the challenges of the beginning of workshop students were offered to solve the tasks for understanding of significance and area of use of trained skill, but then tasks adressed more and more capacity for analysis, conjecturing and feedback verification.

Results:

One of the noteworthy features of all three groups (S, I, JD) was heterogeneity (experience and proficiency, adjustment to professional duties) but much more prominent among JD who also payed less interest to the course of CPR if they worked in outpatient setting assuming that CPR was a responsibility of anesthesiologists or neonatologists. Another distinctive feature was competitive relationship as an intrinsic nature of any group on training which impacted capacity of individual to acquire skills and therefore personal learning curve for any skill. The gap between learning curve required for individual and virtually completed subsequently would determine their ability and recourse to respond to emergencies and cope with any eventuality which may pop up unexpetedly in medical practice. For students of any type (S, I, J) there was strong correlation between personal successfullness (achievement of closest goal) and his/her involvement in professional discussion and networking. Faultering in drilling of particular skill (simulation) was due not to the limited ability but mostly to the lack of art of cooperation, fear of failure to meet requirements and fall behind others that substantially reduced capacity for personal professional adjustment to low level. Some S, I and JD at any group failed to show proper level of learning capacity and art of cooperation, psychological resourcefulness, they felt timid and hesitant giving answers, dealing with individual task ot taking part in team building, that brought along mounting self-dissatisfaction, awkwardness, apprehension of being exposed him/herself to public dissaproval as a laughing stock and ultimately that resulted in recusal from keeping efforts of mastering particular procedure while yielding way and time for that to others at own expense. Constructive alignment of mentorship, partnership, networking and team-building solidified step by step positive environment for mastering intended skill by majority of students (over 95%) that was mirrored by attained performancies.

Conclusion:

Promotion of individual professional growth (accomplishments at each level S, I, J) at the workshop addressing CPR through constructive alignment of objectives, teaching and assessment approaches with learning activities, cherishing of students’ efforts and awarded accomplishments is conducive for student’s progress in attaining level of perfomancies which matches standard. Also this holistic alignment bridges the gaps between students at each level making them fit for cooperation and team-building. This approach lets them complete their individual learning curve and gain experience neccessary for both individual proficiency and team work as well. That reinforces self-confidence in dealing with medical emergencies.

DOI and UDC:

UDC: 614. 23/25:37.147:378.046.4.001.76:159.955.4 DOI: 10.26697/ijes.2020.2.36

Information about the authors:

Muryzina Iryna Yurievna – PhD in Medicine, Associate Professor, Kharkiv National Medical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Research interests: obstetrics and gynecology, medical education; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9209-0717. Muryzina Olga Yurievna – PhD in Medicine, Assistant, SI “Dnipropetrovsk Medical Academy of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine”, Dnipro, Ukraine. Research interests: intensive care, emergency cardiology, pedagogy of higher medical postgraduate education; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6519-2320.