Phase 2: Simulation events
Simulations can be delivered by a variety of methods. The method needs to be carefully chosen and are determined by the skills being taught or progressed, the skill and experience level of the participants, and the equipment available.
Some of these methods are:
Some of these methods are:
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drills
Instructor led scenarios
Instructor led scenarios, or guided scenarios are a useful learning tool for junior or inexperienced participant groups. During an instructor led scenario, the instructor uses discussion, questions or prompts to lead or guide the participants toward diagnosis and management of the clinical case.
Pause and discuss scenarios
In the pause and discuss method of simulation, the scenario is allowed to proceed to a point then paused for debriefing and instruction, and the scenario then continues to the next pause. These pauses may be pre-determined or at an unexpected learning opportunity. In some cases the time may change between pauses.
Immersive
Immersive (or ‘high-fidelity’) scenarios are resource-intensive and aim to replicate the conceptual, physical /environmental and psychological fidelity of a real clinical case to engage the participant’s senses, emotions, thinking and behaviour.1 This allows participants to become fully immersed in caring for that patient. This degree of fidelity and complexity is required to adequately engage higher-level thinking participants and a necessary part of any scenario that aims to analyse teamwork.
Paper-based
Paper-based discussion exercises allows participants to explore hypothetical, simulated scenarios to collaboratively examine areas of concern, solve problems, and identify opportunities and areas for improvement.
Skills and drills
Skills training is used to improve and reinforce participants’ knowledge, techniques and confidence. Simulation provides an ideal environment to teach and practice skills training, by removing the risk of harm and ethical considerations involved when dealing with real patients.
Skills are activities that require knowledge and motor activity. A skill is rarely performed in isolation. For example, consider the number of skills required to successful perform the BLS algorithm, such as effective external cardiac compression and airway manoeuvers .
Following on from skills training, drills are conducted as sustained, repeated practice in clinical scenarios.
Drills require the participant to incorporate the skills practiced to perform a procedure or task. For example, the application of chest compression and airway manoevres skills to follow BLS algorithm in a clinical scenario.
1. Lopreiato, J. O. (Ed.), Downing, D., Gammon, W., Lioce, L., Sittner, B., Slot, V., Spain, A. E. (Associate Eds.), and the Terminology & Concepts Working Group. (2016). Healthcare Simulation Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.ssih.org/dictionary
