Simulation in Post-basic Nursing Training

Abstract Description

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Authors (including presenting author) :

Sze To YM(1), Yu WL(2), Yim WY(2), Man MY(1)(2), Chiu ST(2), Yu WT(1)(2), Leung CP(1)(2), Siu YC(1)(2), Kan PG(1)(2)

Affiliation :

(1) Accident & Emergency Department, Ruttonjee and Tang Shiu Kin Hospitals, (2) Accident & Emergency Training Centre, Ruttonjee and Tang Shiu Kin Hospitals

Introduction :

Simulation training is becoming more and more important in nursing education. It provides a risk-free platform for nurses to master the knowledge, skills and attitudes, and to recognize their weaknesses in the day-to-day clinical practice. Over the last few decades, simulation training develops rapidly in the nursing industry. In addition to the life support courses (such as Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support), many specialties start implementing simulation training programs. Since 2009, the Institute of Advanced Nursing Studies (IANS) and Infectious Disease Control Training Centre (IDCTC) in Princess Margaret Hospital organized several simulation training programs in a variety of nursing specialties. In the middle of year 2016, the training programs were translocated to the Accident & Emergency Training Centre (AETC) in Tang Shiu Kin Hospital.

Objectives :

Simulation training helps reduce errors and improves the quality of patient care. Besides technical skills and knowledge, communication skills and team dynamics are becoming the new focuses of simulation training.

Methodology :

From year 2016 to 2019, AETC has organized 14 different nursing simulation training programs in total, which included over 1500 to 1900 participants in more than 70 classes per year. The courses provided simulation training to nurses with different working experience in different specialties. They included Simulation Training Program for Newly Qualified Registered Nurses, Specialty-related Simulation Training (palliative care, medical & geriatric stream, intensive care stream, applied health assessment, wound debridement, etc.), and the simulation training built-in Post-registration Certificate Course (PRCC) in various specialties (community nursing, advanced medical nursing, burns and plastic surgical nursing, orthopedics and traumatology nursing, anesthetic and recovery nursing, emergency nursing, etc.). Moreover, AETC provided a qualified Train-the-trainer Program on Simulation Training for potential nursing facilitators each year. This year, to assess the learning outcome, we implemented the pre- and post-test for the Simulation Training Program for Newly Qualified Registered Nurses Undergoing the Preceptorship Program.

Result & Outcome :

AETC usually use high-fidelity manikins, simulated models, computer program, and even simulated patients in the scenario-based practice. While the technology and high-fidelity simulator are evolving rapidly in recent years, we insist on emphasizing the importance of a powerful debriefing session to think about what did we do right? What can we do better on next time? Never begin with, what did we do wrong? We hope to encourage creativity in thinking of how we can improve both individually and corporately. From year 2016 to 2019, the overall average rating of the course evaluation ranged from 5.10 to 5.55 (Full mark is 6). We received many positive comments about the simulation trainings as well. Participants found that simulation training is joyful, useful, and practical. Many of them believed that simulation training could enhance their ability to handle the clinical crisis efficiently, and hence reduce the rate of medical incidents. For the preceptorship program, we found a significant improvement after the course. The mean score of pre-test was 61.7% while post-test was 79.6%. On the other hand, the percentage of participants obtained full marks was only 0.5% before the course, while 9.72% after the course. In the nearly future, we expect simulation training will become a valuable teaching method and a mandatory part of nursing education. Also, we look forward to safer nursing practice and higher quality of nursing care in Hong Kong.