Theatre etiquette course: students' experiences

Background : Prior to 2008 medical students at the University of Dundee had no formal teaching in scrubbing, gloving and gowning for theatre. The students had reported high levels of stress, and a lack of knowledge and confidence, when asked to scrub, glove and gown for theatre. We present a cohort study of the effect on students' experiences in theatre following the implementation of a new theatre etiquette course to the undergraduate curriculum. Design : We implemented a new theatre etiquette course for medical students, in which they learned scrubbing, gowning and gloving for theatre. We then identified two cohorts of students: the year group who attended the new course and the year above who did not. At the end of year 4, both cohorts completed a questionnaire about their confidence and experiences in theatre. The results from the year below were compared with the year above, who had no such formal teaching. Results : Questionnaire responses from over 70 per cent of each cohort demonstrated that students attending the new formal course felt significantly more confident in theatre etiquette skills and had an improved experience in the operating theatre, compared with the previous year group. Conclusion : The implementation of a theatre etiquette course improved students' preparation and experience in theatre. It also outlines the need for consistent teaching at an undergraduate level. This formal teaching method is recommended for any curriculum in which students attend theatre.