Medical simulation is a relatively new science that is achieving respectability among healthcare educators worldwide. Simulation and skills centres have become established to integrate simulation into mainstream education in all medical, nursing, and paramedical fields. Borrowing from the experience and methodologies of industries that are using simulation, medical educators are grappling with the problem of rapidly acquiring the skills and techniques required to implement simulation programmes into established curricula. This book assists both novice and experienced workers in the field to learn from established practitioners in medical simulation. Simulation has been used to enhance the educational experience in a diverse range of fields; therefore a wide variety of disciplines are represented.
The book begins with a section on the logistics of establishing a simulation and skills centre and the inherent problems with funding, equipment, staffing and course development, and promotion. Section two deals with simulators and related training devices that are required to equip a stand-alone or institution-based centre. The features, strengths, and weaknesses of training devices are presented to help the reader find the appropriate simulator to fulfil their training requirements. There is a guide to producing scenarios and medical props that can enhance the training experience. The third section covers adult education and it reviews the steps required to develop courses that comply with 'best practice' in medical education. Teaching skills, facilitating problem-based learning groups and debriefing techniques are especially important to multidisciplinary skills centres that find themselves becoming a centre for medical education. The manual concludes with guides for the major specialties that use simulation, including military, paediatrics, CPR and medical response teams, obstetrics, and anesthesia.
