A vital part of medical training is procedural teaching. How does the trainer teach his/her trainee efficiently and effectively? In the field of anesthesiology, procedural teaching often occurs on the awake patient. This can be a challenging task.

The “Teach the Teacher” Workshop held on June 12, 2024, highlighted the role of consistent and structured teaching methods involving conscious patients. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center OB-GYN, Dr. Huma Farid and colleagues, devised a three-part method to structure procedural teaching focusing on the conscious patient. (1) This framework was adapted for teaching procedures within the field of anesthesiology.

During the first (preprocedural) phase, emphasis was on establishing trust and rapport among the faculty, trainee, and patient, thus forming a cohesive team. This is done by clear introductions (with roles) and highlighting the patient as an important member of the team. The session also addressed how to assess learner readiness prior to start of procedure by measuring their ability to explain equipment, medications, and/or procedural steps. We also discussed establishing procedural goals by devising short-term (e.g., successfully locating midline prior to neuraxial placement) and long-term goals (e.g., troubleshooting after failed arterial line attempts).

In the second (intraprocedural) phase, we stressed the importance of maintaining effective and calm communication to learner and patient. Teachers were encouraged to clearly communicate to the patient what to expect with each step of procedure, which also guides the learner. Strategies for responding to challenging procedures highlighted the use of guided suggestions (e.g., “Can I offer a suggestion?”, “Have you considered trying…?” From my viewpoint, I can see…”). These phrases may help maintain the learner’s autonomy. The final (postprocedural) phase emphasized conducting debriefing sessions with both learners and patients. This can involve asking about the patients’ experience (without the learner present) so the teacher may integrate valuable patient perspectives into feedback.