Peer Instruction of First-Year Nurse Anesthetist Students: A Pilot Study of a Strategy to Use Limited Faculty Resources and Promote Learning

A peer-instruction model was used to introduce the fundamental concepts and skills in an introductory nurse anesthetist course as an innovative teaching strategy to efficiently use simulation and faculty resources and promote learning. However, no studies have evaluated whether a peer-instruction model compared with faculty instruction facilitates learning in first-year nurse anesthetist students. The purpose of this prospective, posttest-only, true experimental pilot study was to determine whether a difference was noted in learning outcomes between first-year nurse anesthetist students who received peer instruction and those who received faculty instruction. Perceptions of peer learners and peer instructors about the benefits, limitations, and overall level of satisfaction of a peer-instruction teaching model were also examined. No statistically significant difference in learning outcomes was found between groups, which supports the use of the model. Perceptions of nurse anesthetist students were generally positive regarding the use of a peer-instruction model.