Competencias: su adquisición por los alumnos de la Cátedra de Anatomía en el primer año de las Carreras del Área de la Salud de la Facultad de Medicina de la USAL

In 2013, the Department of Anatomy launched the Skills Project, which was an assessment of procedural and attitudinal competence related to its contents and practical applications.Our goal was to assess in what steps of the venous puncture procedure (including hand washing), we detected the highest incidence of errors and success. We analyzed data of 114 students using a check list. We assigned a score: if performed correctly, incorrectly or not at all. We analyzedthe percentage of success for each step of the procedure; the results were: hand washing 87.72%,arm positioning 88.60%, placement of tourniquet 82.46%, palpation of vein 60.53%, sterilizationof skin area 62.28%, puncture procedure 76.32%, blood extraction 77.19%, post extraction pressureon puncture site 64.04%, and needle disposal.79.82 %. It was observed that 85.96% alteredthe order of the process. Amongst the non-realized steps it highlighted that 22.81% didn’t applypressure to the puncture site, and 13.16 did not cleanse the area correctly. In relation to hand washingit was also observed that in the subgroup of 36 students reiterating the practice for the secondconsecutive year that 45% maintained a correct method, 14% improved their performance comparedto their first experience and 41% had not. We infer that in the acquisition of practical skills thatit is an important requirement that the student should repeat the procedure on numerous occasions,this would justify the reiteration of the practice various times in the course of their career. It is notconsidered an acquired skill if not done correctly at any step that may put the patients safety at risk.It was noted that a high percentage accomplished the blood draw correctly but most altered theorder of the steps that should be a requirement for safe practice; this would justify the importanceof teaching these steps in their training.