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
Review
. 2023 Apr;91(2):109-116.

Assessment Tools for the Evaluation of Simulation-Based Competency In Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia: An Integrative Review

Gail L Beutler Crawford  1 , Bill Johnson  2 , Hallie Evans  3
Affiliations
  • PMID: 36951839
Review

Assessment Tools for the Evaluation of Simulation-Based Competency In Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia: An Integrative Review

Gail L Beutler Crawford et al. AANA J. 2023 Apr.

Abstract

Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA) requires the interaction of technical skills, manual dexterity, and cognitive knowledge which many novice anesthesia providers find challenging. Although simulation improves clinical competency and enhances patient safety, there is no standard tool for assessing UGRA competency in the simulation setting. Therefore, this integrative review aims to determine the most accurate, reliable, and feasible method of evaluating UGRA competency in a simulation environment. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to conduct this review, yielding 19 articles. The primary objective was the evaluation of validity and reliability outcomes of tools used to assess provider skill level. Secondary objectives were the evaluation of multirater agreement, internal and external reliability, and feasibility. Hand motion analysis and eye motion tracking demonstrated promising results, however, expense and training requirements limit widespread accessibility of those tools. The Regional Anesthesia Procedural Skills tool and McLeod checklist possessed discriminate ability of skill level, high interrater agreement, and feasibility in assessing psychometric competency in simulation. The Naik Global Rating Scale allows for assessment of nontechnical professional attributes. Based on the evidence of this review, the validity and reliability of these tools have the most utility as simulation-based competency tools compared with other tools reviewed.

Keywords: assessment tool; nerve block; regional anesthesia; simulation; ultrasound.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Name: Gail L. Beutler Crawford, DNAP, CRNA, ASPMF Contribution: This author made significant contributions to the conception, synthesis, writing, and final editing and approval of the manuscript to justify inclusion as an author. She is the corresponding author for this article. Disclosures: None. Name: Bill Johnson, DNAP, CRNA Contribution: This author made significant contributions to the conception, synthesis, writing, and final editing and approval of the manuscript to justify inclusion as an author. Disclosures: None. Name: Hallie Evans, DNP, CRNA, APRN, CNE Contribution: This author made significant contributions to the conception, synthesis, writing, and final editing and approval of the manuscript to justify inclusion as an author. Disclosures: None.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by