Impact of a Visualization Training Platform on PICU Nurses' Pain Assessment Skill in Critically Ill Children: A Mixed‐Methods Randomized Controlled Trial

Description

Rong and colleagues tested PainScan, a visualization-based training platform their team built, in a 2026 mixed-methods randomized trial at a Shanghai children's hospital. The platform teaches pediatric intensive care nurses how to assess pain in critically ill children. Seventy nurses were randomized to four weeks of platform training or traditional on-site training, with assessors blinded to group, and eleven platform trainees were later interviewed about the experience.

Rong found both approaches clearly raised knowledge and skill scores, but the platform produced superior skill development compared with on-site training, while knowledge gains matched. Interviewees credited realistic, vivid case presentations, flexible scheduling, and personalized features for a satisfying learning experience, and the platform cost less to run. They also flagged weak supervision, engagement, and continuity as areas to fix. The authors recommend the platform as practical training while warning that scaling it up needs those improvements.

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Source: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/PMC13506159