National Pedagogical Plan in Anaesthesiology: Exploring the Impact of Simulation Training During Residency in Portugal

Introduction: An optional simulation training programme for Anaesthesiology residents was developed and incorporated into a National Pedagogical Plan at the Biomedical Simulation Centre of Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Portugal, tailored to each specific year of residency. This study aimed to evaluate participants’ assessment of the module and its perceived impact.Methods: Confidential pre- and post-module questionnaires were completed by all the residents who attended the simulation modules between February 2011 and March 2018.Results: A total of 340 questionnaires were answered. Residents' self-assessment of the importance of core concepts in Anaesthesiology increased significantly during the Year I and Year II modules (p <0.05) and then plateaued until the end of year IV. Self-assessment regarding training also improved from the pre-Year I module to the end of Year IV (p <0.05). Nevertheless, significant fluctuations were observed when comparing pre-post responses within the same module (p <0.05) and when comparing post-module scores with the pre-module scores of the following year (p <0.05). An exception was observed in advanced life support (ALS) training, which showed a marked increase during the Year I module and subsequently remained consistently high until the final year. In contrast, self-assessment of overall experience and training followed a similar trajectory with less pronounced fluctuations over the course of the programme.Conclusion: Self-assessment of the role of simulation in Anaesthesiology training was positive, with the greatest gains noted during the first year of the residency. These findings suggest that the implementation of a national simulation-based training initiative enhances self-perceived competence in key domains essential to a robust educational programme.