Healthcare simulation facilitation is full of numerous challenges for both clinical simulation facilitators and also participants. Healthcare simulation is incredibly beneficial for all healthcare staff to attend, in order to have simulated experiences for which they can advance their clinical skillsets and also reflect on how to adapt clinical care in the future. This article by Erin Carn-Bennett, RN, MSN will explore some of these common difficulties and proposed solutions in order to be able to overcome these challenges in guidance to healthcare simulation educators, in the quest to deliver clinical simulation based education experiences.
Resistance from clinical simulation participants to participate in healthcare simulation scenario experiences is common. This can be due to a variety of reasons for a clinical simulation participant and judgement should not be passed on this by the healthcare simulation faculty members. Most people are incredibly fearful of the experience of being a clinical simulation participant. Resistance to attend healthcare simulation sessions can be overcome through a number of methods.
Healthcare simulation educators ideally should have knowledge about clinical simulation participant trauma and how to navigate the previously traumatised healthcare simulation participant. Genuine and authentic concern for clinical simulation participants to have a psychologically safe experience in clinical simulation should be front of mind for healthcare simulation educators. Formalized structures carried out to a high standard such as pre briefing, introduction to environment and also structured debriefing can assist make clinical simulation participants feel more psychologically safe.
Clinical Simulation Participant Trauma Needs Careful Management
If a clinical simulation participant is brave enough to come forward with a story of previous clinical simulation trauma, this is worthwhile to unpack as appropriate and provide any explanation as able as a non judgemental healthcare simulation facilitator. This can assist to build trust between clinical simulation team members and participants. Normalization of emotions associated with clinical simulation can also be useful in order to help build psychological safety. This can include information such as that healthcare simulations’ purpose is not to feel comfortable in the experience, but that psychological safety is prioritised and how so.
Some clinical simulation participants as well as their managers may be resistant to adopting new healthcare simulation-based educational methods.This can be due to a fear of the process to be observed in clinical simulation and a fear of making a mistake or being judged. There is also a lot of fear of the unknown at times with clinical simulation.
View the new HealthySimulation.com Community New to Healthcare Simulation Group to discuss this topic with your Global Healthcare Simulation peers!
Clinical Area Time Constraints are Common
Time constraints can cause a lot of pressure for both healthcare simulation educators and also participants. This can be really difficult to manage, especially if related to the ability to both attend and also remain focused within the clinical simulation experience. Healthcare simulation facilitators should advocate for clinical simulation, but not be too pushy or emotional if sessions need to be cancelled in order to maintain relationships.
Negotiation for coverage clinically for thirty minutes within a clinical environment may be easier to negotiate rather than two hours away from a clinical space if there is time pressure. Healthcare simulation educators need to be adaptable, flexible and ready to provide clinical simulation as to what best suits the area requesting training. Ideally when possible interprofessional simulation in a clinical space should be prioritised to maximise impact of clinical simulation scenarios that are delivered.
Resource limitations are common in almost every country across the globe in regards to healthcare education of clinical staff. Budgets are often tight, yet clinical education of healthcare staff still needs to continue. When this is an issue for healthcare simulation programs, ideally the education of facilitators should be prioritised so that psychologically safe clinical simulation and also debrief can occur. One facilitator can bring back learnings for other educators and also role model best practices so that others can learn.
Free Resources Can Assist Low Resource Programs
There are many free resources available on the healthysimulation.com website among many others in order to support those in clinical simulation programs with lower resources. Often certified online courses such as those in the healthysimulation.com webinar courses area of the website, are much more affordable than in person education courses. These courses can be more attainable to complete as well from the comfort of home at times that best suit the user.
Healthcare simulation based education can be expensive, which can be a barrier to implementation for those who have budgetary constraints. These constraints may relate to manikin resources, people resources and other similar constraints. However, there are many ways in which an effective clinical simulation program can be run with lower fidelity manikins, skills based trainers and also even tabletop based clinical simulation scenarios. There are also many free online resources available in order to be able to provide free or low cost screen based simulation.
Watch the HealthySimulation.com Webinar High Quality Healthcare Simulation: How to Get Started! to Learn more!
At times, there may be requests for resources that extend beyond the reach of the clinical simulation program. Sometimes this can come from a good place, that areas have really enjoyed a clinical simulation experience and so want more experiences. However, sometimes less is more. Always circle back to learning objectives and what the aim is to be achieved for clinical simulation participants.
Healthcare simulation participants’ psychological safety should always be prioritised and at the center of all clinical simulation activities. If there are not enough resources and the learning objectives do not align with the plan, then revise the plans. Adapt to a learning experience that is better suited to the clinical space, available resources and participants psychological safety.
This article has discussed some common challenges that are presented to healthcare simulation educators in clinical simulation program delivery. Participant reluctance and also previous clinical simulation participant trauma can have a large impact on clinical simulation delivery. Other common issues include resource limitations and over extension of requests. With a structured approach and consideration, no matter what the budget line, a highly effective clinical simulation program is possible.
How to Challenge Imposter’s Syndrome in Healthcare Simulation
