Dataset Information

Redeployment of Surgical Trainees to Intensive Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluation of the Impact on Training and Wellbeing.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of redeployment of surgical trainees to intensive care units (ICUs) during the COVID-19 pandemic-in terms of transferrable technical and nontechnical skills and wellbeing.

Design

This was a survey study consisting of a 23-point questionnaire.

Setting

The study involved surgical trainees that had been redeployed to the (ICU) across all hospitals in London during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants

The survey was sent to 90 surgical trainees who were between postgraduate years 2 to 4. Trainees in specialty training programs (>5 years after graduation) were not included. Thirty-two trainees responded to the questionnaire and were included in the study results.

Results

All respondents spent between 4 and 8 weeks working in ICU. Prior to redeployment, 78% of participants had previous experience of ICU or an affiliated specialty, and >90% had attended at least 1 educational course with relevance to ICU. There were statistically significant increases in confidence performing central venous cannulation and peripheral arterial catheterisation (p < 0.05). With regards to clinical skills, respondents reported feeling more confident managing ventilated patients, patients on noninvasive ventilation, dialysis, and circulatory failure patients after working in ICU. Respondents (97%) felt that the experience would be beneficial to their future careers but 53% felt the redeployment had a negative impact on their mental health.

Conclusions

Redeployment of surgical trainees to ICU led to increased confidence in a number of technical and nontechnical skills. However, proactive interventions are needed for training surgeons with regard to their psychological wellbeing in these extraordinary circumstances and to improve workforce planning for future pandemics.

SUBMITTER: Payne A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7490001 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ObjectivesThe rapid influx of patients with COVID-19 to intensive care at a rate that exceeds pre-existing staff capacity has required the rapid development of innovative redeployment and training strategies, which considered patient care and infection control. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed understanding of redeployment and training during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic by capturing and considering the merit of the strategies enlisted and the experiences and needs of redeployed healthcare workers (HCWs).DesignThe review involved a systematic search of key terms related to intensive care AND training AND redeployment AND healthcare workers within nine databases (Medline, CINAHL, PsychINFO, MedRxiv, Web of Science, The Health Management Consortium database, Social Science Research Network, OpenGrey and TRIP), which took place on 16 July 2021. Analysis consisted of a synthesis of quantitative study outputs and framework-based thematic analysis of qualitative study outputs and grey literature. These results were then combined applying an interpretative synthesis. We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, and the review protocol was available online.ResultsForty papers were analysed. These took place primarily in the UK (n=15, 37.5%) and USA (n=17, 42.5%). Themes presented in the results are redeployment: implementation strategies and learning; redeployed HCWs' experience and strategies to address their needs; redeployed HCWs' learning needs; training formats offered and training evaluations; and future redeployment and training delivery. Based on this, key principles for successful redeployment and training were proposed.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic presents unique challenges to develop flexible redeployment strategies and deliver training promptly while following infection control recommendations. This review synthesises original approaches to tackle these challenges, which are relevant to inform the development of targeted and adaptative training and redeployment plans considering the needs of HCWs.