AB222. Introduction of an ENT emergency—safe boot camp into postgraduate surgical training in the Republic of Ireland

Background: ENT is a craft surgical specialty, which presents significant challenges for the novice surgical trainee (NST), when managing patients with potentially life-threatening conditions. We assess current evidence behind intensive, simulation-rich training programmes or “Boot Camps”. We outline an ENT Emergency Safe boot camp for NSTs and the impact this can have on trainees’ competence when dealing with ENT emergencies.

Methods: A PubMed review of surgical boot camp training was carried out. The impact of deliberate practice on skills gained was assessed. Based on these findings, we designed a standardised “ENT Emergency-Safe Boot Camp”, aimed at NSTs with a view to up-skilling them in the management of 3 critical clinical scenarios namely post-thyroidectomy haematoma, post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage and epistaxis. All CST2s (n=54) on the National Surgical Training programme at RCSI were enrolled on the boot camp. A pre and post boot camp anonymised self-assessment was completed by all participants.

Results: Trainee’s self-assessment demonstrated an increase in median competence scores from 3/5 to 4/5 for management of post-thyroidectomy haematoma and epistaxis. There was a greater increase in self-assessed competence scores from 2/5 to 4/5 for the management of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage.

Conclusions: Study participants expressed an increase in confidence when dealing with specific ENT emergencies, following bootcamp training. This correlates with published data. Patient safety should be enhanced, as a result of participation in this dedicated ENT Emergency Safe boot camp.

Keywords: Bootcamp; otolaryngology; simulation; surgical training