PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - T Garrood
AU  - A Iyer
AU  - K Gray
AU  - H Prentice
AU  - R Bamford
AU  - R Jenkin
AU  - N Shah
AU  - R Gray
AU  - B Mearns
AU  - JC Ratoff
TI  - A structured course teaching junior doctors invasive medical procedures results in sustained improvements in self-reported confidence
AID  - 10.7861/clinmedicine.10-5-464
DP  - 2010 Oct 01
TA  - Clinical Medicine
PG  - 464--467
VI  - 10
IP  - 5
4099  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/10/5/464.short
4100  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/10/5/464.full
SO  - Clin Med2010 Oct 01; 10
AB  - Pressure on working hours has led to a decrease in opportunities for training in invasive medical procedures for junior doctors. The effect of a structured course on immediate and medium-term changes in self-reported confidence was investigated. A one-day model-based practical course was run on two separate occasions teaching central venous line placement, lumbar puncture, Seldinger-technique chest drain insertion and knee joint aspiration. Attendees were asked to indicate their confidence in each procedure on a 10-point Likert scale before, immediately after and three months after the course. Significant improvements in self-reported confidence were seen for all procedures which were sustained at three months. Feedback was universally positive. Practical pre-clinical training may be a useful adjunct to patient-based training in invasive procedures. The course was particularly popular with foundation year trainees: ideally this training should be available before trainees' first exposure in the clinical setting.