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Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona is using the AHRQ-funded Problems and Prevention: Chest Tube Insertion DVD in its Simulation Education and Training Center. Residents are required to complete a chest tube placement training curriculum prior to inserting the tubes in patients.

In addition to residents, nurses from the intensive care unit, cardiac care unit, emergency room, and trauma team are also urged to participate in the chest tube program to encourage team training. The goal is to reduce the possibility of medical errors and improve patient safety at Banner.

Carol Noe, MS, is Director of Operations for Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center's 5,000-square foot Simulation Education and Training Center, which opened in August 2006. "The center trains and educates physicians, residents, nurses, respiratory therapists and other health professionals. Our facility provides team training, hands-on skills training, and virtual reality training to anyone in our system, which is the largest in the state," Noe explains.

When developing the chest tube portion of the training curriculum, "Something seemed to be lacking," notes Noe. "We wanted to look at more than just the chest tube procedure, but also any complications or problems that might occur." After a colleague told her about AHRQ's chest tube DVD and she got a copy and viewed it, "It was exactly what we needed," Noe says.

The entire curriculum is rolling out in June 2007 when the new class of residents arrives. Every resident will be required to take and pass the chest tube course before performing the procedure on a patient.

"Our training is holistic-based," Noe explains. "We include everything to insure patient safety and the elimination of medical errors, such as armband-checking, consent wherever possible, and full sterile techniques."

Plans for the training center's future may include educating patients' family members on care. "Our goal is to provide a 'gold standard' of the highest quality care we can, using evidence-based practices. We hope to exceed standard practice models," says Noe.

She continues, "We are in our infancy as a center, but we share AHRQ's vision of providing excellence in health care."