Simulation as a Teaching Strategy in the Healthcare Profession
Description of the strategy
Important points
Simulation is an event or a situation that is made for resemblance of practices in the clinical field very closely. It can be used for theory teaching, assessing, technology, pharmacology and skills. The simulation emphasis is often on the knowledge application and integration, skills and critical thinking. Simulation allows learners to operate in environment that is as close as practicable to an actual clinical situation and provides them the opportunity to think on their feet not in their seat unlike in the classroom setting. This method has been used successfully in both clinical and formal education.
It has been used in other places other than the healthcare for a couple of years; these include aviation, transportation and industries of nuclear power as well as social and behavioral sciences use simulation for teaching of concepts that allow practice that is free from risk and evaluation of critical thinking. In health care the first types of simulators were the stagnant models like the rubber body parts. They still used today for learning of basic skills such as the urinary insertion and intravenous catheters.
Related domain(s) of learning
With the advancement in technology leaning of more complex skills through simulation became easier. For instance interactive simulators which were connected to hemodynamic monitors allowed those learning to master how to work with the monitor which displays the data of the patient.
Intra-aortic balloon pump simulators connect to the pump which then allows displaying of electrocardiographic and waveforms pressure on the screen. Timing is learned by nurses, alarm troubleshooting and the general mechanics and function of pump without risking the patient’s life. The most recent technology involves computer simulation which is based on the computer supporting the applications of CD-ROM. The learner moves through a situation of a clinic by responding to questions and selection of therapies. These are the computerized cardiopulmonary resuscitation allow those learners to practice skills of psychomotor and receive the feed back on the performance of the learner.
Related learning styles
Other related styles of learning are active learning teaching strategies. This strategy is related with the simulation in that the learners are very much engaged in the process of learning. Participatory learning strategy also is related in that the learners show participation in the learning process.
Best uses of the strategy in the academic and healthcare settings
In the healthcare setting this strategy is very essential in that it reduces the human errors and their severity while improving the care of the patient. This is done by tailoring of the clinical learning experiences more directly to the population of the patients in a particular setting and providing opportunities for training of high-risk and low-volume events.
Helpful tips
All professionals in the field of healthcare ought to have combined knowledge of physical and the behavioral science as well as the technical and the clinical education. Unfortunately much of the technical and clinical learning mostly takes place in the clinical setting which poses risks to the safety of both the patients and those learning. This calls for close supervision by preceptors who are experienced and instructors so as to avoid dangerous consequences. Development and demonstration of critical thinking in nursing is strongly emphasized during the sessions of simulation.
Advantages of the strategy in the academic and healthcare settings
- The safety of the patient is not threatened
- The clinical situations, events, and learning timing can be controlled by the instructor
- When need be actions can be paused to be reflected on and corrected
- Numerous problems can occur at the same time which call for their integration
- Mistakes can be permitted
- Situations that are of low frequency and of high acuity can be rehearsed
- Learning is interactive and feedback is immediate
- Skills of problem solving and thinking critically can be put into practice
- Delegation, leadership and skills of communication can be developed
- Numerous learners can gain the benefit from a session and learn from the success and mistakes of their colleagues
- Videotaping can be done on the sessions
- Confidence is build by experience and a good bridge to the practice of clinic is created
- The act of replay makes it possible for development of variety of approaches to a single situation
- The time for teaching on clinical issues can be lessened
- The method is essential for changes in practice for which the time for instruction and patients availability for educating of staff is limited
Disadvantages
- The simulator is expensive
- The reliability, maintenance and technical support of the simulator ought to be met
- The physical space for the simulator is needed
- Only small learners’ groups can be accommodated in each session of simulation in order to be most effective
- Both the faculty and the learners may experience anxiety in performance
- The new strategy must be learned by the faculty
- Time for preparation for the sessions is required by the faculty
Evidence of its effectiveness from the literature (evidence based support)
The success with simulation as a tool of education in education on critical care is not very unique. Articles based on research and critical care literature show that in comparison with traditional methods, this simulation of teaching is more realistic because it enhances both acquiring and retaining of knowledge and sharpening critical thing and skills of psychomotor in addition it seems to be more enjoyable. For instance Issenberg et al showed that the use of simulation reduces the drawbacks evident in the practice of skills; he stated that decrease in the availability of patients and the time of instruction required for education in medical education.
Rogers carried out a study on fourth-year medical students during the students rotations in the critical care. There was evaluation of the students were evaluated before and after the rotations by use of a examination with multiple choice, a skill station test and an interactive simulation with a high fidelity simulator. Although the results of the test before the rotations were similar for all the three evaluation types, the results after the rotations were different. The students performed better on written examination than on the simulation tests after the rotations, showing that although theory could be applied in a written case study, application of theory was not easily demonstrated in a clinical simulation.
Situation for the application of the simulation strategy
The airline pilots can use simulation technology as a means training tool. Specifically it can be used with specifically designed simulators for practicing of landing and taking off. They can also use this technology for the management of varied events of emergency.
Part 2
Summary
Simulation is an event or a situation that is made for resemblance of practices in the clinical field very closely. It can be used for theory teaching, assessing, technology, pharmacology and skills. The simulation emphasis is often on the knowledge application and integration, skills and critical thinking. Simulation allows learners to operate in environment that is as close as practicable to an actual clinical situation and provides them the opportunity to think on their feet not in their seat unlike in the classroom setting.
Advantages
- The safety of the patient is not threatened
- The clinical situations, events, and learning timing can be controlled by the instructor
- When need be actions can be paused to be reflected on and corrected
- Numerous problems can occur at the same time which call for their integration
- Mistakes can be permitted
- Situations that are of low frequency and of high acuity can be rehearsed
- Learning is interactive and feedback is immediate
Disadvantages
- The simulator is expensive
- The reliability, maintenance and technical support of the simulator ought to be met
- The physical space for the simulator is needed
- Only small learners’ groups can be accommodated in each session of simulation in order to be most effective
- Both the faculty and the learners may experience anxiety in performance
Best use of method in the academic and healthcare settings
In the healthcare setting this strategy is very essential in that it reduces the human errors and their severity while improving the care of the patient. This is done by tailoring of the clinical learning experiences more directly to the population of the patients in a particular setting and providing opportunities for training of high-risk and low-volume events.
Evidence for the method
Rogers carried out a study on fourth-year medical students during the students rotations in the critical care. There was evaluation of the students were evaluated before and after the rotations by use of a examination with multiple choice, a skill station test and an interactive simulation with a high fidelity simulator. Although the results of the test before the rotations were similar for all the three evaluation types, the results after the rotations were different. The students performed better on written examination than on the simulation tests after the rotations, showing that although theory could be applied in a written case study, application of theory was not easily demonstrated in a clinical simulation.
Reference
Beyea, C.S. (2008) Human patient simulation: a teaching strategy: AORN Journal
Issenberg, S.B. et al (2009) Simulation technology for health healthcare professional skill training and assessment to teaching, JAMA 2009: 282: 861-866
Patow, C.A. (2006) Medical simulation makes medical education better and safer; Health management technology
Rauen, C.A. (2007) Simulation as a teaching strategy for nursing education and orientation in cardiac surgery, Critical care nurse journal, Vol 24, No. 3
Reeves, K. (2008) Using simulated education for real learning; Medsurg Nursing journal
Rogers, P.L. et al (2008) Quantifying learning in medical students during a critical care medicine elective: A comparison of three evaluation instruments. Crit. Care Med. 2008; 29: 1268-1273
Swanson, E.A. et al (2010) Comparison of selected teaching strategies incorporating simulation and student outcomes: USA: Johnson county community college 4th simulation conference
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