The Impact of Progressive Simulation-Based Training on Tourniquet Application

The Advanced Combat Medical Experience (ACME) is a progressive simulation-based training held for second-year medical students at the Uniformed Services University (USU). This study explored the impact of participating in ACME on students’ tourniquet application skills. A panel of emergency medicine physician experts developed an assessment to evalu-ate the participants’ performance. Trained raters then scored students’ tourniquet application performance before and after participating in ACME. We conducted a Wilcoxon signed-rank test to detect any significant difference in the participants’ pre-test and posttest ratings as well as time it took them to apply the tourniquet. Our results indicated a significant difference in the pre-and posttest ratings of students as well as the time it took them to apply the tourniquet. This study confirms the effectiveness of progressive simulation-based education for teaching TCCC skills to military medical trainees.