Mixed-Model Curriculum for Nerve Block Education in Emergency Medicine Residency

Introduction With the rising opioid epidemic, there has been a push for multimodal pain management within the emergency department. Nerve blocks have been shown to be an effective pain management strategy for many conditions, with improved success when used with ultrasound. However, there is no generally accepted method for teaching residents how to perform nerve blocks. Materials and methods Seventeen residents from a single academic center were enrolled. The residents were surveyed pre-intervention regarding demographics, confidence, and use of nerve blocks. The residents then completed a mixed-model curriculum that included an electronic module (e-module) on three plane nerve blocks and a practice session. Three months later, residents were tested on their ability to independently perform the nerve blocks and resurveyed regarding confidence and use. Results Of the 56 residents in the program, 17 enrolled in the study; 16 participated in the first session, and nine participated in the second session. Each resident had