Learning objectives are an incredibly important foundational consideration for any healthcare simulation event. This may seem like an incredibly basic topic to write an article about, however very often learning objectives for clinical simulation is overlooked, forgotten about or only revised when there is a problem with the healthcare simulation scenario. When the healthcare simulation event does not go to plan, often this can be related to a lack of consideration of the learning objectives. This article by Erin Carn-Bennett, RN, MSN will explore why learning objectives matter.
As a healthcare simulation program grows in popularity, there can be an increased amount of requests that arrive for this style of immersive education from all kinds of departments within an organization. Clinical simulation unfortunately is not always the correct learning modality to achieve predefined learning objectives though. A start point of clear learning objectives can be useful to assess as to whether healthcare simulation based education will be the most suitable learning modality or not. As much as those who work within clinical simulation would love for healthcare simulation to always be able to meet learning objectives, this is not always the case.
Learning objectives are a frame for the educational experience to be built upon. This frame assists educators to be able to plan and build the clinical simulation further through scaffolded learning. Careful and considered application of learning objectives as early as possible in the plans for a clinical simulation scenario is key to success. At each stage of the clinical simulation process: plans, delivery and evaluation, the learning objectives should be revised, refocused and reconsidered by the healthcare simulation faculty team.
Learning objectives in a clinical simulation are clear statements about what a facilitator expects participants to be able to learn or apply within the simulated learning experience. Some examples of some clear learning objectives could be some such as these:
- Identify clinical deterioration of a patient with a specific medical condition
- Raise a request for assistance for a deteriorated patient appropriately
- Team work applications in an emergency such as: everyone has a clear role, closed loop communication, information communicated openly
- Practice provision of timely clinical care to a deteriorated patient with a medical condition
- Practice handovers to new staff members as they arrive to care for the patient
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Scenario Problems are Usually Learning Objective Related
Often when there are problems with a clinical simulation experience, there is great use to go back and revisit the learning objectives after the experience. This revision process can often discover some clarity as to where the clinical simulation has gone wrong. This process can also often find some clarity as to whether healthcare simulation was the best suited educational pathway to start with.
How to Write Healthcare Simulation Learning Objectives
As a healthcare simulation facilitator who writes learning objectives there should be close consideration made about what the learners’ needs are. In the process to write learning objectives the learners’ needs must be at the center of the clinical simulation experience. Learning objectives that encompass the learners educational requirements at the forefront with genuine authenticity by facilitators are in great stead to create foundations of a great clinical simulation experience.
Considerations to apply to the writing of learning objectives process by clinical simulation facilitators include: what adaptations to practice are expected after this healthcare simulation experience. To build these expectations into learning objectives of a clinical simulation experience allows healthcare simulation participants to translate and apply skills acquired in a safe space such as healthcare simulation to improve clinical care after the scenario and debrief.
Other considered topics for the basis of clinical simulation learning objectives include interpersonal and interprofessional behaviors, clinical skills to hone and team based management skills. Some examples of these could include: the role of leadership in a crisis and other team roles, identified clinical skills to improve the deteriorated patients condition and how to communicate as a team while caring for a critically unwell patient.
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When a healthcare simulation scenario does not go well, the first place to review is the scenario and also specifically the learning objectives. There can be at times a want to say that the scenario may not have gone well due to a specific group of participants. However, as a clinical simulation faculty group this urge should be resisted and first review both the faculty teams performance as well as the clinical simulation scenario.
If the issue has been with the learning objectives of a clinical simulation scenario, often this can relate to healthcare simulation not being the correct educational modality applied. This should be considered and revisited prior to the scenario being used again. The scenario background story, clinical assessment and observations should also be reviewed. Consider where the scenario seems to have gone off the planned path and review this point for issues and what has gone wrong.
When there have been issues with a clinical simulation scenario this can be a great opportunity to ask the clinical simulation participants for their feedback on the scenario. As clinical simulation facilitators there should not be assumptions as to why the participants have taken a particular clinical path in a scenario. The participants’ insights within the debrief or afterwards can be incredibly useful in the process to review and edit the scenario.
This article has discussed learning objectives within healthcare simulation based education experiences. Learning objectives need a lot of consideration in the clinical simulation scenario writing process. Discussion has been centered around learning objective review when a scenario has not gone to plan and also how to involve healthcare simulation participants in this process. Learning objectives are a powerful and important segment within the scenario writing process that should not be overlooked in order to create successful clinical simulation based education experiences.
