We offer Simulation Based Education (SBE) either independently or integrated into broader blended programs. Through the use of Human Patient Simulators (HPS), we recreate scenarios, activities, environments, or incidents, providing our staff and stakeholders with opportunities to learn in a ‘High-Stress, Low-Risk’ (HSLR) setting.
The evidence strongly supports the idea that the more we practice our skills, whether individually or as teams, the more proficient we become. Thus, we place significant emphasis on encouraging our teams to participate in simulations whenever possible, as it enhances the quality of care we can deliver to our patients. Simply put, practicing on a simulator before applying newly acquired skills in real-life situations is far preferable.
Our expert team is extensively educated and trained to deliver high-quality education in various settings, including our dedicated simulated environment, clinical settings, or external locations. Additionally, we offer tailored consultation, support, and mentorship for those interested in developing their own programs and services.
We are committed to providing the best possible learning experience for both our students and faculty by incorporating contemporary educational theories and utilising appropriate equipment. It’s important to recognise that healthcare simulation can be conducted in diverse ways, and our team can assist in determining the most suitable approach for you and your learners. This may involve employing methods beyond advanced equipment, such as role-playing or task trainers, to meet specific learning needs.
What is Healthcare Simulation
Simulation-based education (SBE) has experienced exponential growth in healthcare over the past two decades, although its roots trace back much further, serving as a means to educate others. From the utilisation of task trainers to hone midwifery skills in the 18th century to the introduction of full-bodied manikins for nursing training in 1911, and notably, the innovation of ‘Little Anne’ by Asmund Laerdal for CPR instruction, SBE has been a staple in healthcare education for over a century. As technology advances, our capacity to develop increasingly sophisticated and realistic equipment to simulate patient scenarios grows.
It can be argued that simulation-based learning has been ingrained in human education for generations. For instance, knights participating in jousting tournaments mimicked battle activities for sport, serving as a form of simulation. Moreover, in more contemporary contexts like the military and aviation, simulation plays a crucial role in ensuring safety and fostering the development of processes, skills, and teamwork. For instance, pilots undergo training in fully immersive simulations, providing them with cockpit environments identical to their real-world settings, complete with controls, views, and sounds.
It is only right that healthcare professionals also learn in a safe way.
Why we do what we do
King’s Academy offers a variety of courses for Nursing, Midwifery, and Allied Health Professionals, extending a warm invitation for collaboration to deliver a service committed to excellence in education and patient safety.
The driving force behind Simulation-Based Education (SBE) across various fields has been the paramount concern for safety and the pursuit of mastery in tasks. However, the potency of simulation goes beyond mere equipment; it lies in the immersive experience it offers, coupled with the opportunity for reflection and debriefing afterward, which fosters profound learning.
We firmly believe that SBE facilitates learning for individuals and teams in high-stress, low-risk environments. Participants face challenges that test their skills and knowledge under pressure, yet the absence of harm to patients in case of errors ensures a low-risk setting.
SBE stands as one of the modalities within Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL), embracing innovative tools and delivery methods to support staff in their educational endeavors.
The continuous education, training, and development of the health and social care workforce are indispensable for enhancing patient outcomes, safety, and satisfaction. Health and social care providers, in collaboration with education commissioners and providers, are steadfast in ensuring that students, trainees, and staff have access to top-tier education, training, and development opportunities to elevate patient care standards and boost productivity (Department of Health, 2011).
Type of Healthcare Simulation
In-Suite Simulation
“In-Suite simulation” refers to the utilisation of a dedicated simulation suite, potentially constructed specifically to conduct a variety of activities. Situated near Loughborough Junction train station on Hinton Road, our purpose-built simulation suite encompasses two simulation rooms (3 bed spaces in total), each complemented by dedicated debriefing and Operations (Ops) rooms, serving as the central control hub for simulation events.
Crafted to mirror a typical ward environment, our simulation suite functions as a training venue for healthcare teams seeking to enhance their proficiency in managing acutely ill patients. This objective is achieved through the utilisation of Human Patient Simulators (HPS) or a blended learning methodology incorporating the portrayal of patients by actors. Within our simulated scenarios, expert faculty guide the narrative in response to the actions of healthcare professionals. Supported by the simulation team, our HPS accurately replicate real-life patient conditions, replicating parameters such as blood pressure, pulses, and heart rate.
The rooms boast working oxygen/medical air ports, emergency call bell system and dedicated phone lines that allow the observers to hear both sides of the conversation, critical to hear what the participants have been asked to do or told by the senior practitioner on the phone.
Throughout the duration of the healthcare event, observers have the opportunity to monitor unfolding situations via strategically placed ceiling-mounted cameras and microphones. Subsequent to the conclusion of the simulation, a faculty member conducts a comprehensive debriefing session involving all participants. This post-event review facilitates collective learning, enabling participants to glean insights and lessons learned regardless of their physical presence in the simulation room
In-Situ Simulation
In-Situ Simulation is refers to Simulation-Based Education (SBE) conducted within the clinical setting, whether it be a ward, operating theatre, or administrative area. Conducting simulations in such familiar environments offers significant advantages for teams, as they are accustomed to the surroundings, equipment, and procedures, creating an optimal learning environment.
An efficient in situ simulation program holds the potential to provide impactful education in small, manageable doses to a diverse audience of healthcare professionals, addressing a wide array of topics from team dynamics to procedural skills and knowledge gaps. Beyond individual skill enhancement, it fosters team cohesion and strengthens professional groups. In situ simulation checks all the boxes: it’s convenient, relevant, practical, effective, team-oriented, memorable, and delivers powerful learning experiences directly in the workplace, allowing for the practice of skills essential for patient care.
Moreover, being situated within the clinical space facilitates simulations that span departments, such as transitions from recovery to the ward or from the emergency department to CT scanning. This type of simulation, centred around common tasks, can be exceptionally impactful.
Role-Play
Role-play involves two or more individuals assuming specific roles to enact a scenario, serving as an experiential learning method aimed at cultivating firsthand experience within a safe and supportive environment. Widely recognised across various fields of training and education, role-play serves as a pedagogical approach applied in diverse contexts and subject areas, involving students embodying specific roles to navigate case-based scenarios for learning course content or grasping intricate concepts.
Role-play simulation, also known as peer simulation, shares similarities with Standardised/Simulated Patient (SP) simulation but exhibits distinct characteristics. In role-play or peer simulation, participants take on both the role of the patient and that of the healthcare provider, enabling exploration of various patient responses and offering insights into patient perspectives and motivations.
Designed primarily to foster firsthand experience within a secure and encouraging setting, role-play proves effective in achieving a wide range of learning objectives, encompassing cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of learning as outlined in Bloom’s Taxonomy. Through role-play, students apply theoretical knowledge to practical problems, engage in reflection on issues and diverse viewpoints, and contextualise theoretical concepts within real-world scenarios.
Similar to other forms of clinical simulation-based learning, role-play provides a structured environment adaptable to meet the learner’s specific needs, contrasting with the randomness of trainee encounters and opportunities within traditional clinical settings. Role-play simulation immerses learners in real-life situations characterised by stress, novelty, complexity, or controversy, prompting them to examine personal sentiments toward others and their circumstances. This form of simulation fosters critical thinking regarding intricate and contentious subjects and encourages students to consider situations from diverse perspectives.
Standardised/Simulated Patients
Since the 1960s, the Standardised/Simulated Patient (SP) methodology has been integral to Healthcare Simulation, particularly in training medical students and physicians to assess patients within a secure environment. As utilising actual patients with specific diagnoses presented practical and ethical challenges, SPs emerged as a viable alternative. Although initially met with skepticism, SPs have now become a staple in modern Simulation-Based Education (SBE).
An SP is an individual who undergoes training or coaching to portray various roles, such as patients or family members, enhancing the educational experience for medical professionals. Equipped with a scripted scenario and background information, the SP accurately depicts a patient’s condition, including physical symptoms, body language, personality traits, and emotional responses. This authentic representation enables simulation learners to develop essential skills in physical assessment, communication, and critical thinking. Furthermore, SPs ensure consistency by portraying roles uniformly across different learners, offering standardised experiences to all participants.
The utilisation of Standardised/Simulated Patients provides novice healthcare professionals with a safe environment to practice assessment and treatment skills, mitigating the risk of inadvertently harming actual patients through incorrect techniques. Experiential Learning, such as SBE, has demonstrated superiority over didactic methods, particularly in high-stakes scenarios. In medical education, SBE is a mandatory component, requiring students to conduct physical exams and histories on multiple SPs under observation before licensure. While manikins and mechanical simulators offer valuable technological support, they lack the human interaction integral to medical care. A robust SP program offers unparalleled learning opportunities that technology alone cannot replicate.
Technical Skills
Simulation encompasses more than just the use of manikins to replicate patient conditions; it plays a crucial role in enabling Healthcare Professionals to practice a myriad of complex tasks with technical precision. From routine procedures like inserting a urinary catheter to intricate surgeries such as Laparoscopy, the necessity for deliberate practice before executing these tasks on real patients cannot be overstated. Simulation thus becomes pivotal in facilitating repetitive and deliberate practice to attain proficiency.
Traditionally, and in some instances still practiced, medical meat has been utilised for task training, particularly in procedures like chest drain placement or suturing. However, this approach has its limitations, especially with heightened regulations surrounding tissue usage. Consequently, much of this training has transitioned to specialised ‘task trainers’ designed specifically for carrying out such procedures.
In an educational context, task training through simulation offers numerous advantages. It allows learning to be tailored to the trainee’s needs rather than being dictated by patient requirements. Learners can focus on entire procedures or specific components, and they have the opportunity to perform procedures repeatedly in quick succession, accelerating the training process beyond the limitations of clinical opportunities. Additionally, simulation provides a safe environment where participants can learn from mistakes without compromising patient safety, and simulators can offer objective performance feedback, making them valuable tools for both formative and summative assessment.
These characteristics have fuelled the increasing use of simulation in anaesthesia education for teaching crisis management and non-technical skills. Similarly, they should be harnessed in the delivery of simulation-based education for technical skills, ensuring Healthcare Professionals are equipped with the proficiency and confidence needed to deliver optimal patient care.
Non-Technical Skills
Non-technical skills in healthcare encompass cognitive, social, and emotional abilities that healthcare professionals utilise alongside clinical expertise to ensure safe, effective, patient-centred care. While technical skills cover clinical procedures and medical knowledge, non-technical skills are equally vital for navigating healthcare complexities and promoting positive outcomes.
Effective communication serves as a cornerstone, involving clear conveyance of information, active listening, and empathetic interactions. It fosters rapport with patients, facilitates shared decision-making, and ensures seamless teamwork among healthcare members.
Teamwork and collaboration are fundamental, as interdisciplinary teams address diverse patient needs. Professionals must collaborate effectively, communicate openly, and respect others’ expertise, enhancing patient safety and clinical outcomes while fostering a supportive work environment.
Critical thinking and problem-solving are indispensable, requiring analysis of complex situations, evidence-based decision-making, and innovative solutions to optimise patient care.
Emotional intelligence is crucial, encompassing self-awareness, empathy, and resilience, enabling professionals to manage stress, respond empathetically, and cultivate trust with patients.
Leadership and situational awareness are essential, with leaders inspiring teams, promoting safety, and anticipating risks to enhance patient care quality and safety.
