London

Simulation Facility

Simulation Facilities

At King’s Academy, we’ve made a substantial investment in our high quality simulation suite to complement our array of simulators. Our simulation suite comprises two rooms, three bed spaces in total, meticulously designed to replicate various patient environments, ensuring versatility to meet the diverse needs of our educators.

Additionally, each area is equipped with a dedicated debriefing room featuring direct audiovisual feeds from multiple points across the facility. This setup allows participants who are not directly involved in the scenario but will play a role in the debriefing process to observe comfortably from the debriefing room.

2 Bedded Bay – Simulation Room

We have meticulously crafted this room to mirror a typical two-bedded ‘bay’ found within the Trust. Each bed space is equipped with its own medi-rail, functioning Oxygen and Medical Air ports, as well as multiple electrical sockets and network ports for added convenience.

Furthermore, each bed space features a monitor seamlessly integrated with our simulators, capable of displaying patient vital signs once specific items such as a blood pressure cuff or oxygen saturation probe are applied.

Adjacent to each bed space, a trolley is stocked with various items commonly used in patient care scenarios, ensuring realistic simulation experiences and a fully working Resuscitation trolley with working Defibrillator and Suction unit.

Our flexibility extends to configuring the room to resemble different clinical settings, whether it be a critical care bed space complete with ventilators or a maternity ward featuring Resuscitaires.

For comprehensive observation and recording, the room is equipped with three PTZ and two EPTZ cameras discreetly positioned in the ceiling, accompanied by two microphone bars and a drop microphone to capture audiovisual data effectively.

A Simulation room with 2 simulators on trolleys
Two bedded simulation room

1 Bedded Bay – Simulation Room

We have designed this room to replicate a standard single-bed unit found within the Trust. The bed area comes fully equipped with its own medical rail, operational Oxygen and Medical Air ports, along with multiple electrical outlets and network connections for added convenience.

Moreover, the bed space is outfitted with a monitor seamlessly integrated with our simulators, which can display patient vital signs once specific equipment like a blood pressure cuff or oxygen saturation probe is applied.

Adjacent to the bed area, there’s a stocked trolley containing various commonly used items in patient care scenarios, ensuring lifelike simulation experiences and a fully working Resuscitation trolley with working Defibrillator and Suction unit.

Our adaptability extends to configuring the room to mimic different clinical settings. Whether it’s a critical care bed area complete with ventilators or a maternity ward featuring Resuscitaires, we can accommodate.

For thorough observation and recording, the room features three PTZ and two EPTZ cameras discreetly positioned in the ceiling. These are complemented by two microphone bars and a drop microphone to effectively capture audiovisual data.

an image of Sim Room 2, with one bed space and a manikin in place.
One bedded simulation room

Debriefing Rooms

Our suite of simulations extends beyond merely replicating real healthcare scenarios. We recognise the significance of reflecting on these experiences to reinforce learning. This is why we have designated two debriefing rooms situated adjacent to our clinical simulation spaces. These rooms serve as safe havens where our learners can unpack their simulated encounters with our expert faculty.

During these debriefing sessions, participants are actively engaged rather than being passive observers. Our faculty members lead them through a thorough analysis, prompting them to scrutinise their actions and observations. This interactive process lays a solid groundwork for future learning and decision-making.

The debriefing rooms are well-equipped to facilitate these discussions. A large screen enables everyone, including those not directly involved in the simulation, to watch together and engage in collaborative conversations. Additionally, for more formal presentations, a lectern and PC are provided.

Nevertheless, our main emphasis is not on traditional lectures but on fostering open communication. We prioritise creating a barrier-free environment, often opting for a comfortable seating arrangement over tables. This setup encourages participants to freely engage and delve deeper into their learning experiences, ultimately enhancing their growth from the simulation exercises.

A group of clinical staff sat in a circle taking part in a debrief

Operations/Control Rooms

Our Simulation Suite features two Operations/Control rooms where our expert faculty can oversee the simulation process. In these rooms, faculty collaborate with simulation staff to adjust patient observations and parameters in response to actions taken in the simulation room. For instance, if oxygen is administered to the manikin, faculty direct an increase in oxygen saturation readings.

A large screen displays activity in the rooms and can be configured in various ways, with the preferred format being a quad view showing three cameras and the patient monitor feed. This setup provides a comprehensive view of participants and their actions. However, configurations can be adjusted to accommodate additional views, including those of debriefing rooms.

While some simulation centers use large one-way mirrors for observation, this method becomes less effective with more participants or obstruction of the mirror’s view. Additionally, any light in the Ops/Control room may reveal faculty presence behind the mirror, compromising participant immersion.

We find that camera feeds enhance participant engagement as they forget they are being observed. It also allows faculty to view activities from multiple angles, maximises wall space, and eliminates the need for adjacent Ops/Control rooms.

Telephones are available for standard calls and provide a direct line to the simulation room for participants to escalate care to senior staff. Calls made through this line are audible in the debriefing room, facilitating post-event analysis.

Both Ops rooms are equipped with USB-C docking ports for dual monitor setups, optimising simulator operation with larger screens, keyboards, and mice. Additionally, an all-in-one touchscreen computer controls the Audio-Visual (AV) system, including camera adjustments via touch or mouse input.

Furthermore, a microphone connected to the AV system allows faculty to provide voice responses for the manikin, enhancing realism and interactivity.

A room with a number of screens showing controls for equipment on them
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