Mind games for medics: can thinking calmly make better doctors?

This study tested whether a mental preparation session could help reduce stress for anesthesia residents before they perform a common but high-pressure procedure: placing an epidural for a woman in labor. Thirty-two residents were randomly assigned to either receive the mental training or not, and then performed the procedure on a simulator. Researchers measured their stress levels, technical skills, and non-technical performance to see if the training made a difference.