(1112) PICU Take 10: An Education Initiative

Introduction: The COVID pandemic altered the landscape of nursing, resulting in experienced nurses leaving their permanent position. Nemours Children's Hospital (NCH) was affected by this nursing shortage in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). During 2021 and 2022, 48 nurses resigned, or 55% of our staff. The pandemic resulted in mostly novice nurses being available for permanent positions. During 2021 and 2022, 65 nurses were hired for the PICU; 18 were new graduates, and 42 had less than two years of experience. We recognized a knowledge gap related to this turnover. The PICU Take 10 education initiative aims to improve the competency of the PICU nurse through early recognition and management of critically ill children.

Methods: To start, all 88 PICU nurses were invited to complete a pre-survey to assess education satisfaction and self-efficacy in being prepared to care for PICU patients. In January 2023, we launched the PICU Take 10 education. The education approach takes 10 minutes to review material with the nurses. Each month focuses on a new system. For example, January was cardiac. Topics varied from basic anatomy reviews to common diagnoses and associated treatments. Medical simulation is rooted in adult learning theory and is an extremely valuable teaching modality. Therefore, we completed a PICU in-situ simulation monthly related to the topic to reinforce the concepts learned.

Results: In our 2023 learning needs assessment, 92% of the PICU RNs reported simulation as the most effective teaching method. The objectives for simulations were to demonstrate early recognition and management of the critically ill child and to have effective interprofessional communication. We exhibited this through data collection with pre and post-knowledge assessments. Thus far, each month shows improvement from 10% to as much as 60%. Upon completion of the PICU Take 10 education initiative, we will give a post-survey for comparison to assess progress.

Conclusions: At submission, PICU Take 10 is ongoing. The initial data shows improvement in pre and post-knowledge assessments. We strive for the overall goal of this education initiative to show that implementing mini-education sessions followed by simulation practices will improve the PICU staff's knowledge base, improve patient care, and enhance patient safety.