Non-technical skills of medical students in the course of pediatric emergency simulations are associated with their mindfulness: an observational cohort study

Background High fidelity medical simulations allow for teaching medical skills in safe and realistic conditions. Pediatric teams of emergency departments work under extreme stress, which affects high-level cognitive functions, specifically attention and memory, and increases the already high stakes for young doctors. Lapses in attention increase the risk of serious consequences such as medical errors, failure to recognize life-threatening signs and symptoms, and other essential patient safety issues. Mindfulness as a process of intentionally paying attention to each moment with curiosity, openness and acceptance of each experience without judgment can potentially contribute to improving the performance of medical teams in conditions of pediatric emergency. The aim of the study was to determine whether the actions of medical students in the course of pediatric high fidelity simulations are related to their mindfulness. Participants and methods A total of 166 standardized simulations were conducted among students of medicine in three simulation centers of medical universities, assessing: stress sensation, technical skills (checklists), non-technical skills (Ottawa Crisis Resource Management Global Rating Scale) and mindfulness using Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Results The perception of stress among students was lower and more motivating if they were more mindful. Mindfulness of students correlated positively with avoiding fixation error, but negatively with listening to and managing the team. The lowest scores among non-technical skills were noted in the area of ​​situational awareness (fixation error). In subsequent simulations of the same team, students' non-technical skills improved, although no change was noted in their technical skills. Conclusions The results of our research indicate the relationship between the mindfulness of medical students and their non-technical skills and the perception of stress in pediatric emergency simulations. Further research is needed to show whether mindfulness training leads to any changes in this field. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03761355).