Phases of Simulation

There are three phases involved in planning and conducting a simulation education event.

Phase 1

The first phase is providing underpinning knowledge.  It is important that learners are provided with the required basic knowledge before they undertake simulation education events.  Learners who are placed in the simulation environment without adequate orientation and underpinning knowledge will likely find the learning event frustrating and confusing.

Phase 2

The second phase is the actual Simulation Education Event. 

The learning objectives and outcomes of the simulation event need to be defined. The activity needs to be well planned in content, degree of fidelity and how the situation needs to unfold for the participant.

Before conducting a simulation education event, it is important to brief participants to reinforce the learning outcomes, set the scene and expectations for the event and create a safe environment for the simulation event.

Participants should be given information on the confidentiality of communication during scenarios and performance of participants; creation of a fiction contract to suspend any disbelief during the simulation and make the simulation as real as possible; what the assessment will entail; and their role and scope of practice as a participant in a scenario.

Phase 3

The final phase of conducting a simulation education event is Assessment, Feedback and Debriefing.

Assessment – Assessment refers to a variety of methods and tools used to evaluate, measure, and document the learners’ progress, skills acquisition, competency and behaviour.  Some form of assessment should be used to provide feedback and identify how participants performed against the learning objectives and outcomes of the course.

Feedback - Adult learners need regular feedback on their knowledge, skills, attitude and performance, and it is an essential part of the learning process. It is important to balance this critical feedback with elements of positive behaviour that have occurred during the simulation.

Debriefing - Debriefing is another form of feedback that encourages self-reflection and self-analysis. In debriefing, the facilitator encourages the learners to reflect on their actions and links the events to clinical practice.