Power Outage: A Simulation Case for Anesthesiology Residents.

Abstract

Introduction: Power outages in the OR are rare. However, anesthesia providers must be prepared to manage these situations until power is restored or their patient can be moved to a safe area. These situations occur so infrequently that many learners do not experience these events during their training. We designed a high-fidelity power outage simulation for anesthesiology residents to fill this training gap and enhance their preparedness and confidence.

Methods: In each simulation session consisting of up to four learners, one or two PGY 3/PGY 4 residents participated as anesthesiologists in a case involving an intraoperative power loss during a routine inguinal hernia repair of a patient under general anesthesia. After the simulation, residents received a debriefing focused on intraoperative power outage training. After concluding the debriefing, residents completed a 5-point Likert scale survey to assess their confidence in managing an intraoperative power loss.

Results: Over 2 years, 22 anesthesiology residents completed the simulation. Residents' mean ratings of confidence in managing a patient in the OR during a power outage improved by 1.2 points (p =.001), confidence in monitoring vital signs improved by 1.4 (p = .001), and confidence in planning appropriate disposition improved by 0.9 (p =.001). All participants found the simulation highly valuable.

Discussion: The anesthesiology-specific simulation proved to be an effective educational tool. Feedback was positive as residents agreed that the simulation was valuable for developing clinical reasoning and decision-making skills, significantly boosting their confidence to respond effectively and maintain patient safety.