Retention of basic suturing skills with brief or extended practice in veterinary students.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of practice duration on accuracy, retention, and confidence when learning how to tie basic surgical knots.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective study.

SAMPLE POPULATION

Fifteen first-year veterinary students.

METHODS

Students were randomly assigned to a 2-week practice (TWP) or an 8-week practice (EWP) to learn how to tie surgeon's, strangle, and miller's knots. Students' knot-tying accuracy and confidence were evaluated immediately after training, at an intermediate time point (2-6 weeks postpractice), and at 12 weeks postpractice.

RESULTS

Students who had been trained during an extended period tied the strangle knot correctly more often at all assessments (P = .025). The ability of students trained for 2 weeks to tie the strangle knot correctly decreased over time (P = .028). These students lost some confidence (P = .03) and repositioned suture more frequently (P = .03) while constructing the strangle knot at the final time point compared with students trained for 8 weeks. Students who completed TWP felt more confident at placing surgeon's knots than friction knots at the final assessment period (P = .0164 miller's knot, P = .0056 strangle knot), whereas confidence did not differ between knot types for students who completed EWP. All students felt less confident with their knot-tying skills at 12 weeks postpractice.

CONCLUSION

Training for 8 weeks rather than for 2 weeks resulted in superior knot tying skills. Students' confidence decreased 12 weeks after training.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Prolonged distributed practice is recommended to train students for more complex tasks such as placement of a strangle knot.