SAEMF Education Project Grant - $20,000

"From Simulation to Confidence: Advanced Neonatal Resuscitation and Skill Mastery for Emergency Medicine Faculty"

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The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) has explicitly identified improving pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) education as a critical priority to enhance patient outcomes and reduce the significant variability in pediatric emergency care across the nation [18]. This project offers an innovative and scalable solution to a long-standing challenge in emergency medicine (EM). Unlike traditional neonatal resuscitation formats or standalone simulation sessions, our iterative, theory-informed approach emphasizes sustainable performance improvement in real-world emergency department (ED) settings, directly addressing the limitations of skill decay over time [9,11–15]. By specifically targeting general EM faculty rather than exclusively PEM-trained clinicians, this curriculum addresses a recognized national need for improved pediatric emergency preparedness across the broader emergency care system [2,5,6]. Furthermore, this initiative lays crucial groundwork for future faculty development efforts, potentially expanding to other rare, high-acuity PEM procedures, thereby advancing the field of simulation-based medical education [13–17]. The study will be conducted in an urban academic ED, serving a diverse and often medically underserved population. University Hospital in Newark, affiliated with Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, provides care for critically ill newborns in its Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which admits over 1,500 infants annually. Our team brings robust mentorship and expertise in simulation-based education, adult learning principles, and mixed-methods research, ensuring rigorous implementation and evaluation of this vital educational intervention. This program aims to significantly improve EM faculty knowledge, procedural performance, adherence to the NRP algorithm, and ultimately, neonatal outcomes for our vulnerable patient population.

Recipient(s)

Kei Wong, MD, EdM

Rutgers New Jersey Medical school

"From Simulation to Confidence: Advanced Neonatal Resuscitation and Skill Mastery for Emergency Medicine Faculty"

Kei Wong, MD, EdM, is an associate professor of emergency medicine in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
Dr. Wong completed her pediatric residency and chief residency at Goryeb Children’s Hospital at Morristown Medical Center and a pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. She earned a master’s degree in education and a graduate certificate in educational technology from the Rutgers Graduate School of Education.
She serves as clinical director of pediatric emergency medicine education for the emergency medicine residency, director of the pediatric emergency medicine student elective, and a preclerkship course director for medical students.
Dr. Wong’s work focuses on advancing pediatric emergency care through medical education and simulation-based training, including pediatric airway readiness and competency-based curriculum development. She is developing a procedural simulation program using rapid cycle deliberate practice to strengthen faculty skills in neonatal resuscitation