Determining and Prioritizing the Technical Needs of New Graduates with Bachelor of Science in Anesthesia: Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Determining and analyzing educational needs is a crucial aspect of curriculum development, especially when planning is based on duties and competencies. This study aims to identify and prioritize the technical needs of new graduates with Bachelor of Science in Anesthesia program at Paramedical School of Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2022.

This cross-sectional study was conducted based on needs assessment  in two stages. The first stage involves identifying and prioritizing skill needs across six areas: professional communication, preparation and use of drugs, preparation and use of equipment, patient control and evaluation, safety and risk prevention, and management and patient care. This assessment was carried out with a focus group comprising two groups of faculty anesthesiologists and anesthesia faculty members and a group bachelor of science in anesthesia graduates from teaching hospitals in Kashan city. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique was utilized, and a researcher-designed questionnaire was employed to collect data.In the second stage, this questionnaire was distributed to 29 selected anesthesiology graduates, who were chosen using a purposeful sampling method. The data were then analyzed using SPSS (version 26). First, the mean and standardized mean of each item within the six domains were calculated. Next, the desired needs were prioritized based on the suggested scores from each of the three studied groups. The importance of each domain under study was determined using the AHP technique and Expert Choice software.

According to the final results of the AHP, the priority of technical needs has been established based on the opinions of the three studied groups. The domains are ranked as follows: 1) management and patient care, 2) preparation and use of drugs, 3) patient control and evaluation, 4) preparation and use of equipment, and 5) professional communication. The domain of safety and risk prevention received the lowest priority, coming in at sixth place.

The domains of management and patient care, and the preparation and use of drugs were identified as having the highest priority based on the findings of the needs assessment. Recognizing that the determination and analysis of educational needs can enhance the performance of graduates and improve the quality of anesthesia care and patient services, it is essential to focus more on implementing educational programs related to these domains.