Background: In recent years, the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has expanded rapidly in Japan, and public awareness has increased to the extent that ECMO is often described as a “last line of defense.” In Japan, clinical engineers are generally responsible for ECMO management, from initiation to daily operation. At our institution, ECMO is managed under a single–clinical engineer night shift system. Newly employed clinical engineers undergo structured ECMO education with the goal of independently performing night duty by the end of the fiscal year. This study reports the current status and challenges of ECMO education at our center. Activities: ECMO education for new clinical engineers is primarily provided by perfusionist and includes acquisition of basic knowledge, circuit setup, and simulation-based training, followed by stepwise hands-on clinical experience. To reduce variability in educational content and technical procedures, essential tasks were organized into checklists. In addition, instructional videos for priming procedures and ECMO initiation were developed to promote standardization of techniques. Discussion: Due to clinical workload, perfusionist cannot always participate in both education and bedside management. Consequently, mid-career clinical engineers without routine involvement in extracorporeal circulation are sometimes required to supervise junior staff. This situation may result in differences in knowledge level and educational awareness among instructors. The introduction of standardized checklists and instructional videos contributed not only to procedural standardization but also to reduced variability in educational quality and improved training efficiency. Conclusion: Standardization of ECMO education and technical procedures is essential to maintain safe and high-quality ECMO management under limited staffing conditions.
Yamashiro et al. (Mon,) studied this question.