The Effects of Stress on the Clinical Performance of Residents in Simulated Trauma Scenarios

Medical practice & training are inherently stressful situations. However, the effects of stress on educational & clinical performance are not well defined. The purpose of the current study is to examine the effects of stress on performance of residents in simulated trauma scenarios. The hypothesis is: 1) acutely stressful scenarios will be appraised as threat by residents and result in elevations of heart rate and salivary cortisol; 2) increased subjective & physiological stress will result in impairments in performance; and 3) greater stress responses will result in greater clinical impairments.