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The impact of a structured clinical training course on interns’ self-reported confidence with core clinical urology skills

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Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Undergraduate training in core urology skills is lacking in many Irish training programmes.

Aims

Our aim was to assess newly qualified doctors’ experience and confidence with core urological competencies.

Methods

A questionnaire survey covering exposure to urology and confidence with core clinical skills was circulated to all candidates. The group then attended a skills course covering male/female catheterisation, insertion of three-way catheters, bladder irrigation and management of long-term suprapubic catheters. The groups were re-surveyed following the course.

Results

Forty-five interns completed the pre-course questionnaire (group 1) and 27 interns completed the post-course questionnaire (group 2). 24/45 (53%) had no experience of catheter insertion on a patient during their undergraduate training. 26/45 (58%) were unsupervised during their first catheter insertion. 12/45 (27%) had inserted a female catheter. 18/45 (40%) had inserted a three-way catheter. 12/45 (27%) had changed a suprapubic catheter. 40/45 (89%) in group 1 reported ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ confidence with male urinary catheterisation, compared to 25/27 (92.5%) in group 2. 18/45 (40%) in group 1 reported ‘none’ or ‘poor’ confidence with female catheterisation, compared to 7/27 (26%) in group 2. 22/45 (49%) in group 1 reported ‘none’ or ‘poor’ confidence with insertion of three-way catheters, compared to 2/27 (7%) in group 2. 32/45 (71%) in group 1 reported ‘none’ or ‘poor’ confidence in changing long-term suprapubic catheters, falling to 3/27 (11%) in group 2.

Conclusion

This study raises concerns about newly qualified doctors’ practical experience in urology. We suggest that this course improves knowledge and confidence with practical urology skills and should be incorporated into intern induction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland

    C. Browne, S. Norton, J. F. Sullivan, M. Quinlan, M. Sheikh, T. E. D. Mc Dermott, T. H. Lynch & R. P. Manecksha

  2. School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    J. M. Nolan, C. Whelan & R. P. Manecksha

Authors
  1. C. Browne
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  2. S. Norton
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  3. J. M. Nolan
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  4. C. Whelan
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  5. J. F. Sullivan
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  6. M. Quinlan
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  7. M. Sheikh
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  8. T. E. D. Mc Dermott
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  9. T. H. Lynch
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  10. R. P. Manecksha
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Browne.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Cite this article

Browne, C., Norton, S., Nolan, J.M. et al. The impact of a structured clinical training course on interns’ self-reported confidence with core clinical urology skills. Ir J Med Sci 187, 255–260 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-017-1616-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-017-1616-x

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