Peer Teaching for Infection Prevention Strategies in the OR

Education is a cornerstone strategy to prevent healthcare-associated infections. Trainings benefit from being interactive, simulation-based, team-orientated, and early in professional socialization. Breckwoldt, et al. (2019) conceived an innovative inter-professional peer-teaching module with operating room technician trainees (ORTT) teaching infection prevention behavior in the operating room (OR) to medical students (MDS).

ORTT delivered a two-hour teaching module to small groups of MDS in a simulated OR setting with four posts: ‘entering OR’; ‘surgical hand disinfection’; ‘dressing up for surgery and preparing a surgical field’, ‘debriefing’. MDS and ORTT evaluated module features and teaching quality through 2 specific questionnaires. Structured field notes by education specialist observers were analyzed thematically.

On Likert scales from − 2 to + 2, mean overall satisfaction was + 1.91 (±0.3) for MDS and + 1.66 (±0.6 SD) for ORTT while teaching quality was rated + 1.89 (±0.3) by MDS and self-rated with + 1.34 (±0.5) by ORTT. Students and observers highlighted that the training fostered mutual understanding and provided insight into the corresponding profession.

The researchers conclude that undergraduate inter-professional teaching among ORTT and MDS in infection prevention and control proved feasible with high educational quality. Inducing early mutual understanding between professional groups might improve professional collaboration and patient safety.

Reference: Breckwoldt J, et al. Operating room technician trainees teach medical students - an inter-professional peer teaching approach for infection prevention strategies in the operation room. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control. 2019;8:75