Training Improvement through Subjective Work Analysis: The Example of Radial Puncture

The aim was to test a method developed in nuclear industry applied to a simple activity, the radial artery puncture, and to assess its capacity to improve performance. The method involved digital ethnography based on the Square of PErceived ACtion model applied in real operating situation and first-person perspective video for post-analysis of the activity in order to improve training design. Two types of training sessions were compared in terms of trainees’ performance, one of them taking benefits of the digital ethnography analysis (restructured session) and the other without (classic session): medical students trained in the anesthesiology department of the university (N=24) were summoned for training in the framework of their university curriculum. Data obtained were used to restructure the training session and to elaborate an evaluation grid to assess performance in both sessions. Trainees’ motivation was assessed through the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. The restructured session showed significantly higher overall performance (increased by 13%), improvement of every criterion assessed and no alteration of motivation. The improvement obtained for radial puncture matches this observed in nuclear industry. The improvement is two folds: at the level of the training efficiency and at the level of trainees’ performance.