The influence of the simulation environment on teamwork and cognitive load in novice trauma professionals at the emergency department: Piloting a randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION

This pilot study aimed to test the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial to examine how simulation environments (in situ versus laboratory) influence teamwork skills development and cognitive load among novice healthcare trauma professionals in the emergency department.

METHOD

Twenty-four novice trauma professionals (nurses, medical residents, respiratory therapists) were assigned to in situ or laboratory simulations. They participated in two 15-minute simulations separated by a 45-minute debriefing on teamwork. After each simulation, they completed validated teamwork and cognitive load questionnaires. All simulations were video recorded to assess teamwork performance by trained external observers. Feasibility measures (e.g., recruitment rate, randomization procedure and intervention implementation) were recorded. Mixed ANOVAs were used to calculate effect sizes.

RESULTS

Regarding feasibility, several difficulties were encountered, such as a low recruitment rate and the inability to perform randomization. Outcome results suggest that the simulation environment does not affect novice trauma professionals' teamwork performance and cognitive load (small effect sizes), but a large effect size was observed for perceived learning.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights several barriers to conducting a randomized study in the context of interprofessional simulation-based education in the emergency department. Suggestions are made to guide future research in the field.