Medical practitioners’ confidence in performing paediatric critical procedures in the emergency department

Background: Paediatric patients make up a significant portion of emergency department (ED) visits, and critically ill children require timely, life-saving procedures. While medical practitioners (MPs) may have the necessary skills, a lack of confidence can prevent them from applying these skills effectively, potentially impacting patient outcomes. This study aimed to assess MPs’ confidence in performing critical procedures for paediatric patients and to identify factors influencing it. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted in four EDs in KwaZulu-Natal between 07 July 2023 and 11 November 2023. A questionnaire completed by MPs with confidence levels ranked on a five point Likert Scale was used. Results: With a 68% response rate the mean level of confidence was 3 [s.d. = 12.5]. Emergency medicine specialists when compared to non-specialists had a higher level of confidence being 3.99 (P = 0.02). The amount of time spent treating paediatric patients did not affect confidence levels. Per