Abstract / Summary
Abstract Introduction Medical students receive limited exposure to pediatric airway management during clinical clerkships, creating a critical gap in a life-saving skill. Bag-mask ventilation (BMV) is fundamental to neonatal resuscitation, yet no standardized just-in-time simulation curriculum exists for teaching this skill to medical students using low-fidelity task trainers. Methods We developed and implemented a just-in-time, simulation-based curriculum for third-year medical students during their Surgery, Anesthesia, Obstetrics, and Gynecology clerkship block. During one-hour sessions, through the lens of Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model we evaluated level 2 (learning) by individually assessing students on BMV technique using the Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) Checklist, 2nd Edition, before and after rapid cycle deliberate practice coaching on a low-fidelity pediatric airway task trainer. We compared pre- and post-intervention scores using a paired two-tailed t-test. Results Over one academic year, 120 medical students completed the curriculum across two sites with a 100% participation rate. Mean HBB Checklist score improved significantly from 8.3 ± 2.17 to 12.9 ± 1.22 (mean difference 4.52, 95% CI 4.09–4.95, p < 0.0001). Step-level analysis revealed the greatest deficits in corrective resuscitation measures at baseline, with the greatest gains observed in these steps following training. An incidental finding identified that 44% of students demonstrated incorrect hand placement over the submental space, a technique associated with airway occlusion in neonates. Discussion This low-fidelity, just-in-time simulation curriculum significantly improved medical student BMV skills and is feasible to implement at a low cost outside of a formal simulation center.