Experiential Learning for Psychomotor Skills Development of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Students: An Action Research

BACKGROUND: Experiential learning is useful for fostering the development of a wide range of clinical and practical skills. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of experiential learning for psychomotor skills development of emergency medical services (EMS) students. METHODS: An action research approach was used because it is useful for linking theory with action and practice. The Field Internship Student Data Acquisition Project (FISDAP) tool was used to assess and monitor students’ performance and competencies achievement in psychomotor skills. The study was conducted at Prince Sultan College for Emergency Medical Services (PSCEMS), King Saud University (KSU). Skills performance of 71 EMS students were analysed in the experiential learning implemented throughout the curriculum over 3 years. RESULTS: The finding indicates that the students’ skills performance falls below the minimum requirement during the clinical practicum and significantly improves during the time of internship period. The overall success rate ranges between 26.58% and 35.74% across all the psychomotor skills, whereas during the internship year student’s success rate ranges between 85.49% and 99.4% across all the psychomotor skills. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study are promising and show that experiential learning is a useful and effective way to develop psychomotor skills and competencies in EMS students. Educators and policymakers can use the findings for strategizing policies for curriculum planning and development.