Simulation-Based Experiences

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Pages: 6

The goal of any educational intervention, whether it being a simulation based scenario, teamwork exercise, or focused skill, is to gain knowledge from the activity to the learning students. Simulation-based experiences have a well-known history no matter what profession you are looking at. Aviation uses flight simulators and the military has used war simulations that have been known to be extremely successful in their training programs. Because of these known successes in other industries, using simulation in the area of medicine and nursing has become an important part of the education of students and licensed professionals as they further their careers. This research can apply to any nurse at any stage of their career (pre and post license), …show more content…
As a background, back in 2002, a study of literature was collected, by Ravert (2002), from students pursing a degree in a health profession, and the results concluded that 75% of the studies found that students favored or highly favored simulation as a teaching tool. In a qualitative study by Mikkelson, Reime, and Harris (2007), students (N=21) who experienced a simulation based training believed they had a greater awareness of the topics they would have not thought about if they had not received this simulation based training. When looking at a systemic review by Cook et al (2011), “technology-enhanced simulation training in health professions education is consistently associated with large effects for outcomes of knowledge, skills, and behaviors, and moderate effects for patient outcomes.” With all of these different study groups and simulation reviews, the National Council of State Board of Nursing conducted a landmark, national, and multi site longitudinal study of simulation use around the country. This study was started in 2010 and consisted of two phases. Responses were from 1060 programs, representing all 50 states. The first phase was to determine the prevalence of simulation use, including the types equipment used, the course topics in which the simulations are being used for, if simulation was being substituted for clinical hours, and the types of faculty being …show more content…
Nurses, physicians, and technical partners will benefit greatly from this simulation based learning change. By being able to practice their skills in a “simulation environment”, confidence can be increased and skills can be practiced without the fear or anxiety of making a mistake or causing real harm to someone. Educators and facilitators of the simulation will benefit from simulation by being able to help and guide their fellow colleagues; they may even learn something new from the experiences, as everyone can bring something new to the table. Another large stakeholder in this promoted change would be the patient’s of the facility. By having their care team practice their skills, this gives the patients a sense of trust and rapport with their staff members. Confidence and self-assurance can be very calming and reassuring for a patient when they are in an unfamiliar place being treated by strangers. With this increase in confidence and critical thinking skills, patients will feel more comfortable with the providers that are taking care of them. Lastly, the developers of these simulation-based technologies are key stakeholders, as their business thrives on the implementation of these tools. These developers can also help educators and facilitators with strategies and best practice models to guide and overcome any