Use of high-fidelity realistic simulation in teaching airway management and suctioning to physiotherapy students

Abstract

Background: Realistic simulation has been consolidated as a complementary strategy to traditional teaching, contributing to increased self-confidence, reduced anxiety and improved academic performance of students. Aim: to investigate the effectiveness of high-fidelity realistic simulation on the academic performance and personal satisfaction of physical therapy students regarding airway management and aspiration. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test study without a control group with 31 physical therapy students (mean age 24.2±6.2 years), mostly female (87.1%). After consent, participants answered a sociodemographic questionnaire and took a written pre-test consisting of fifteen true/false statements on the topic. They then participated in a training session with the high-fidelity simulator Laerdal SimMan® 3G, in accordance with the Support Program for the Institutional Development of the Unified Health System (PROADI-SUS) guidelines, lasting a total of three hours. After the activity, a post-test with the same structure as the pre-test and a satisfaction questionnaire (maximum score: 20 points) were applied. Results: A statistically significant improvement in academic performance was observed, with an increase in the mean score from 11.0 ± 1.6 to 12.4 ± 1.2 [mean difference (MD) = 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.35 to 1.71]; (p = 0.019); (Cohen’s d = 0.53) [95% CI: 0.18 to 0.88]. Additionally, there was a high level of satisfaction with the simulation activity (mean score of 19.6 ± 0.7 points; 98%). Conclusion: high-fidelity realistic simulation was associated with improved academic performance and the teaching-learning process in physical therapy—particularly in training skills related to airway management—fostering performance improvements and high levels of student acceptance.