Using Simulation to Educate the Healthcare Professional

Using Simulation to Educate the Healthcare Professional The purpose to the article was to give an overview of types, implementations and resources for human simulation in nursing education. “Gaba (2004) has defined simulation as a “ … technique, not a technology, to replace or amplify real experiences with guided experiences (as sited in Galloway, 2009). Aldrich (2005 ) stated “[t]he objective in creating any simulation experience is achieving fidelity, i. e. , a close replication of the real-life, human situation” (as cited in Galloway, 2009).

The fidelity created the environment for learning, when fidelity is high there is a greater potential for learning. There are six types of simulations role-playing, standardized patients, partial task trainers, complex task, integrated simulators or human patient stimulators, and full mission simulation (Galloway, 2009). The author showed how the use of simulation for learning was not limited to nursing students and that regardless of the limited numbers for studies, the results for simulation have been positive in many areas of high-risk training. The evidence base for the use of simulation in patient care is limited (Galloway, 2009).

The sky is the limit in terms of how much it will cost to incorporate simulation into health professional education” (Galloway, 2009). The technology for educators is rapidly changing and they need to be keep up; a task many educators are unable and unwilling to do (Galloway, 2009). Kyle and Murray (2008) , authors of Clinical Simulation: Operations, Engineering and Management , offer tools to help educators determine what fits best for their specific learning objectives and settings (as cited in Galloway, 2009). The patient is trusting the health care professional to safely and skillfully care for them.

Simulation techniques need to be implemented today and improved for tomorrow (Galloway, 2009) Quote “Simulation enables healthcare professionals to hone the clinical skills that are needed to provide safe care without harming patients as they develop these skills” (Galloway, 2009). Paraphrase In healthcare, simulation will facilitate professionals as they fine-tune their skills to improve patient safety without putting them at risk. Evaluation Commander Susan Galloway is a doctoral student at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. Her MSN concentration was nursing education.

She works currently as the Chief of Health Professions Education for the Joint Task Force National Capital Region. She has worked with Washington Hospital Center and Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences to improve education with simulation. Commander Galloway is currently working on research focused “on the human factors related to the transfer of skill acquisition from simulation sites to the real world” (Galloway, 2009). Her background in the integration of simulation and her current research focus makes her qualified in the area of simulation in healthcare education.

The article was published in May 2009 in The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Some technological changes may have occurred since the paper was published, but the simulation types and educational approaches are the same. The article was written to educators in all health professions. The author wanted to show educators from the OR setting to the nursing student, the importance of using simulated learning tools to increase skill competency. She also showed how simulations could improve interdisciplinary teamwork, one of the core competences. The objective data in the paper was distinguished by the use of quantitative data.

The author uses the limited research data from other fields using simulation to assume that the benefits will transfer to the healthcare setting. She also used two specific rescue studies that were done on simulation. Subjective information was confined to the conclusion. There are twenty-three references listed, the majority of them are from 2009 and 2008. This was the most up-to-date information she could have used for the paper. The older references were used to show how implementations is a slow process with many components. The information is still useful for future reading.

This article was found using the MSU database search engine with the key words simulation nursing education and a date range limited to 2006-2010. I chose this article because it not only addresses simulation for nursing students but also for nurses of all levels in all areas including interdisciplinary settings. This article a good resource because it is American Nurse Association peer reviewed. References Galloway, S. J. (2009) Simulation techniques to bridge the gap between novice and competent healthcare professionals. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing,Vol. 14, No. 2, Manuscript 3. doi:10. 3912/OJIN. Vol14No02Man03