Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 May 31:8:23821205211020741.
doi: 10.1177/23821205211020741. eCollection 2021 Jan-Dec.

Rapid Intensive Care Unit Onboarding in Response to a Pandemic

Fahad Alroumi  1 , Donna Cota  2 , Jonathan Chinea  1 , Nakul Ravikumar  1 , Bogdan Tiru  1 , Victor Pinto-Plata  1 , Mark Tidswell  1
Affiliations

Rapid Intensive Care Unit Onboarding in Response to a Pandemic

Fahad Alroumi et al. J Med Educ Curric Dev. .

Abstract

Background: In the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hospital resources have been stretched to their limits. We introduced an innovative course to rapidly on-board a group of non-intensive care unit (ICU) nurse practitioners as they begin to practice working in a critical care setting.

Objective: To assess whether a brief educational course could improve non-ICU practitioners' knowledge and comfort in practicing in an intensive care setting.

Methods: We implemented a multi-strategy blended 12-week curriculum composed of bedside teaching, asynchronous online learning and simulation. The course content was a product of data collected from a targeted needs assessment. The cognitive learning objectives were taught through the online modules. Four simulation sessions were used to teach procedural skills. Bedside teaching simultaneously occurred from critical care faculty during daily rounds. We assessed learning through a pre and post knowledge multiple choice question (MCQ) test. Faculty assessed learners by direct observation and review of clinical documentation. We evaluated learner reaction and comfort in critical practice by comparing pre and post surveys.

Results: All 7 NPs were satisfied with the course and found the format to work well with their clinical schedules. The course also improved their self-reported comfort in managing critically ill patients in a medical ICU. There was an increase in the mean group score from the pre-to the post-course MCQ (60% vs 73%).

Conclusions: The COVID-19 Critical Care Course (CCCC) for NPs was implemented in our ICU to better prepare for an anticipated second surge. It focused on delivering practical knowledge and skills as learners cared for critically ill COVID-19 patients. In a short period of time, it engaged participants in active learning and allowed them to feel more confident in applying their education.

Keywords: COVID-19; ICU; accelerated curriculum; blended learning; critical care; eLearning.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

References

    1. Halpern NA, Goldman DA, Tan KS, Pastores SM. Trends in critical care beds and use among population groups and medicare and medicaid beneficiaries in the United States: 2000-2010. Crit Care Med. 2016;44:1490-1499. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pastores SM, O’Connor MF, Kleinpell RM, et al.. The accreditation council for graduate medical education resident duty hour new standards: history, changes, and impact on staffing of intensive care units. Crit Care Med. 2011;39:2540-2549. - PubMed
    1. Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). SCCM: United States resource availability for COVID-19. Accessed August 29, 2020. https://sccm.org/Blog/March-2020/United-States-Resource-Availability-for...
    1. Woolliscroft JO. Innovation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Acad Med. 2020;95:1140-1142. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sklar DP. COVID-19: lessons from the disaster that can improve health professions education. Acad Med. 2020;95:1631-1633. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources