Medical interns pratice arterial blood sampling (left) and administering an IV to a simulated arm (above).
About 60 new interns brushed up on basic medical skills during a graded exercise held by the Walter Reed Medical Simulation Center Monday. The mostly Army interns rotated through three stations where they practiced arterial blood sampling, blood drawing, and intravenous (IV) catheter insertion on “task trainers” or simulated arms. The National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md., held their own event for interns assigned there.
“It gives them a level of comfort in what they are doing,” said Maj. Jeffrey Mikita, medical director of the Walter Reed Medical Simulation Center. “It allows a better patient experience. The patient isn’t nervous because the provider knows what they are doing.”
Both adult and child task trainers were used, depending on what type of population the intern would be treating. Cadre from the Medical Center Brigade ó respiratory, medical laboratory, and health-care specialists -ó helped with the training and grading during the event. Interns were graded on vein identification, proper tourniquet application, sterilization, angle and direction of the needle, verification of correct location through “flash back,” number of times attempted among other criteria.
“It’s important to have the people who do this day in and day out help guide the new interns,” said Mikita.
“We’re really taking the time to help build their confidence in what they’re doing. Throughout the year they’ll become more and more highly-skilled medical interns and will learn to do more complicated procedures such as central lines,” he added. “Back when I was an intern, we had to practice these techniques on each otherÖhaving the medical simulation center help them build confidence and proficiency in these techniques is really ideal. And they’re doing great!”
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