Educational simulation

Simulation, used as an educational method allows participants to rehearse, practise, and refine skills and behaviours in a safe, controlled environment. Simulation is a technique, not a technology (Gaba, 2007). It allows us to replicate real-life randomness while ensuring the safety of participants and patients. Simulations are primarily created for a learning purpose to develop or progress skills allowing transfer to the real world resulting in improved patient care.

During simulation events participants and observers learn the technical and non-technical skills  needed to provide quality patient care. The learning objectives of the event need to be defined, and the simulation needs to be planned in terms of its content and degree of fidelity.

Although team based training is necessary in improving patient safety it is recognised that these patient outcome level improvements involve an array of complex socio-technical interactions not explored in traditional educational simulation.