Practicing What You Preach

Abstract

Introduction:

During a mass casualty incident (MCI) seminar in Rome, Italy a survey was used to gauge the self-efficacy and confidence of the participants in managing an MCI. Following the course, a follow-up presentation was held by the Torino EMS Medical Director to evaluate and debrief the Torino Railway incident that occurred one day prior. Students partook in a seminar on MCI management, as well as a debriefing of the Turin Railway accident in which they evaluated the skills used by teams on the scene to manage the incident.

Methods:

Medical students partook in a seminar to learn to manage an MCI scene, as well as a debriefing of the Turin Railway accident. Following both seminars, the students were given a survey to assess their sense of self-confidence in managing such a situation.

Results:

The mean level of self-efficacy prior to the MCI training (M=3.43, SD+0.42) increased after the training (M=3.71, SD+0.37) and remained at the same higher level (M=3.71, SD+0.51) after the medical students were exposed to the details of the Turin train accident. The overall difference between the mean self-efficacy scores in the three time frames was not found to be significant. The mean level of confidence in managing MCIs prior to the training (M=2.83; SD+0.89) increased after the training (M=3.56; SD+0.53) and remained higher following the presentation of the Turin train accident, despite a slight decrease (M=3.52, SD+0.63).

Discussion:

The participants’ surveys showed an increase in their self-efficacy and confidence following the course and follow-up presentation. It is our professional recommendation that real-life events be used in such seminars to increase self-efficacy and confidence. The topic will continue to be evaluated further.