264 - Standardization of Resident Education During Neonatal Rotations: Can We Increase Teaching of Core Content?

Poster Number: 264
Publication Number: 264.330

Cindy S. crabtree, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, United States; Angela M. Cox, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States

Background: Pediatric residents at the University of Louisville rotate through a 101-bed, level IV unit at Norton Children’s Hospital Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) monthly. We developed a quality improvement (QI) project that utilized a standardized list of core neonatal teaching topics (NICU Notebook), implemented a teaching tool kit to aid educators in delivery of content and to incorporate formal night shift teaching to increase delivery of education by attending and neonatal fellows.

Objective: Primary objectives were to increase the percentage of core neonatal topic delivery during resident rotations from 40% to 70% by May 2021. Secondary objectives were to maintain teaching quality and resident satisfaction.

Design/Methods: Prior to implementation, an eight-question survey was distributed to upper-level residents that had rotated through the NICU in the previous 3 months. The survey was then also distributed to residents after completion of their NICU rotation. Prior to the implementation, the lecture topics were documented each month by the faculty and fellows. During the study, the NICU notebooks were submitted at the end of the rotation to track the number of topics covered during that Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle. The project included four PDSA cycles from November 2020 to May 2021 that trialed the Notebook implementation, utilization of the teaching toolkit, and incorporation of night shift formal teaching.  

Results: Twenty-three residents rotated through the NICU during the QI implementation period. The survey response rate was 52% (n=12) and submission rate of the NICU notebook was 78% (n=18).  The residents reported an increase in topic delivery from 40% to 75%. The reported teaching quality that was reported at “great” (5-point Likert scale) increased from 50% to 70% and resident satisfaction (always and mostly) increased from 60% to 75%.  Conclusion(s): The coverage of core topics improved with the utilization of the NICU notebook, the teaching tool kit, and incorporation of night shift teaching sessions. The residents reported an improvement in education quality and overall satisfaction during their rotation period. This data shows that standardization of the teaching approach increases the topic exposure for residents during their NICU rotation.