Motivation for healthcare simulation educators can wane at different parts of the calendar year in the workplace for a variety of reasons. This is no different in healthcare simulation based workplaces for clinical educators. There are a number of factors that can impact healthcare simulation educators’ motivation. Healthcare simulation program administrators should consider that burn-out and departure of key medical simulation team members can devastate a fledging program. This article by Erin Carn-Bennett, RN, MSN, will explore factors that can contribute to variability in motivation levels for healthcare simulation educators, alongside other clinical simulation professionals, and potential solutions in order to overcome these workplace based challenges in motivation and therefore throughputs of healthcare simulation programs.
Motivation is Impacted by a Number of Factors
Factors that impact on motivation both inside and outside of workplaces include but are not limited to: the time of year and also the season and associated weather. For example: through the winter months, or at the end of the year depending on hemispheres motivation levels of staff can be impacted. End of the year motivation levels for healthcare simulation educators may wane even for those people that live in the southern hemisphere for which this is the summer months. Winter time is another time of year that can greatly impact on all workplaces motivation levels due to weather challenges that impact sickness and energy levels.
Motivation can not be forced or coerced by other team members, but there can be influence through role modelled positive behaviors which then encourage others to also utilise these positive behaviors as well. When staff members challenge one another in regards to their work throughputs this can be incredibly demotivating and have the opposite intended effect. However, when staff role model to one another positive workplace behaviors and allow each other grace as able and as appropriate this can be more impactful for workplace motivation to return and improve workplace throughputs.
To sit as a collective team to plan and map out potential conferences and professional development education opportunities for the year can be incredibly useful for motivation for a clinical simulation educator and healthcare simulation program. As a clinical simulation educator there is great importance to still seek out personal professional development opportunities. Healthcare simulation educators are required to maintain and also build knowledge bases as a continual process in order to both progress themselves and the clinical simulation program as a collective. Clinical simulation educators continual professional development assists with motivation to continue to facilitate healthcare simulation to a high standard throughout the year.
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Ingrained Annual Processes Can be Helpful
An annual process to plan and map out different healthcare simulation course opportunities to provide healthcare simulation participants can be a motivating team process. This may include skills based education through to large scale team training events. This can assist individuals and the clinical simulation program team to plan logistically and mentally for the year ahead. This can also assist with roster and calendar management for team members to plan schedules and also vacations.
Consideration of current curriculum design for established clinical simulation programs and their current systems can assist motivation. Consideration should be given as to whether current healthcare simulation systems meet the needs of clinical simulation participants and the organization or whether adaptation needs to occur. Adaptations and improvements to current clinical simulation on offer can be a remotivating process for healthcare simulation educators and team members.
A clinical simulation calendar should not only include time blocked out for allocated courses. There should also be calendar time allocated for any required course preparation time to create timetables, send out pre course work and organize post course surveys. This allows adequate time to complete expected work and also captures the time that is required to do so. The process to track how many clinical simulation participants are attending training and to what scale can assist to improve motivation and reflection skills for healthcare simulation program team members.
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Healthcare Simulation Educators Need Self Care
Self care as a healthcare simulation educator is of great importance. Clinical simulation educators place healthcare simulation participants into incredibly vulnerable situations and learning environments. There is a lot of risk to do great harm and cause healthcare simulation trauma to participants very easily. Therefore there is great importance that clinical simulation educators look after themselves and ensure that their motivation remains and that their clinical simulation participants are kept psychologically safe.
Healthcare simulation educators should consider burnout levels and address this as required. Burnout can have a large impact on motivation and productivity, but the earlier identified and rectified the better outcomes. Regular safe space for reflection in a clinical simulation program through mentorship, supervision or coaching can assist staff with motivation levels, goal setting and professional development. Self and team based care is an incredibly useful investment into healthcare simulation educators motivation and also assists to reduce burnout risk.
There should be time allocated for both individuals and a clinical simulation program to map out time to reflect at the completion of one year and also to plan for the year ahead. This should also even be a process to be considered quarterly or even more regularly dependant on the healthcare simulation programs size. A continual process to assess current status of healthcare simulation programs and forward plan can greatly assist to drive a team forward in their motivation levels.
This article has explored motivation and how factors that affect motivation relate to healthcare simulation educators. Motivation can not be forced onto staff members however motivation can be influenced through role modelled positive behaviors. Well structured plans to review status of clinical simulation program throughputs as well as plans for future events can assist with the motivation and also remotivation of healthcare simulation staff members in the long run.
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