Highly Realistic Training for Navy Corpsmen: A Follow-up Assessment
Abstract
The U.S. Navy has begun implementing a simulation-based training exercise called highly realistic training among military medical providers. Simulation training, such as highly realistic training, places participants in a chaotic, challenging environment, during which they must demonstrate mastery of medical and casualty management skills. In previous research, we demonstrated that Navy Corpsmen who received highly realistic training as part of Surface Force Independent Duty Corpsman (SFIDC) School showed improvements in confidence and readiness immediately after training participation. The goal of the present study was to conduct intermediate-term evaluations of the training. To accomplish these objectives, pregraduation surveys were administered to successive classes of Corpsmen students shortly before they graduated from SFIDC School (about four months after the training; n = 106), and post-graduation surveys were administered to successive classes of Corpsmen about nine to thirteen months after the training (n = 125). Results were similar for the two groups. Both groups reported a fairly high level of satisfaction with the training overall, as well as with specific elements of the training. In both groups, elements of the training that participants liked most were the role players/live actors and the cut suits. At both time points, Corpsmen participants were satisfied with the highly realistic training and reported improvements in their confidence and ability to provide medical care. The unique contribution of this study is it provided evidence that the impact of the highly realistic training was sustained over intermediate time periods, both 4 months and 913 months after the training. Implications of these findings for the training of military medical providers are discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 12, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1049617
Entities
People
- Cynthia J Thomsen
- Renee G. Dell'acqua
- Stephanie Booth-Kewley
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center