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Interdepartmental Simulation Collaboration in Academia: Exploring Partnerships With Other Disciplines
Clinical Simulation in Nursing (2010) 6, e231-e232
www.elsevier.com/locate/ecsn
Featured Article
Interdepartmental Simulation Collaboration in Academia: Exploring Partnerships With Other Disciplines Janet Willhaus, MSN, RN, Doctoral Student Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99210-1495, USA KEYWORDS Simulation; interdisciplinary; exercise physiology; radiologic technology; criminal justice
Abstract: Multidisciplinary collaboration provides opportunities for growth in any simulation program. Simulation coordinators pursuing excellence may find unlikely partners among health care and nonehealth care professionals. Non-nursing collaborations can offer students, faculty, and simulation coordinators fresh views about simulation in an interdisciplinary climate. Examples of cooperative work with instructors and researchers in radiology, sports medicine, and criminal justice studies are described. Sports medicine students participated in scenarios involving a school-aged child with a spontaneous pneumothorax, a coach who was having a stroke, a pregnant yoga instructor experiencing an asthma attack, and a football player who had been momentarily unconscious after a tackle. Nursing students were asked to participate in criminal justice scenarios because of their understanding of simulation principles. Cite this article: Willhaus, J. (2010, November). Interdepartmental simulation collaboration in academia: Exploring partnerships with other disciplines. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 6(6), e231-e232. doi: 10.1016/ j.ecns.2010.02.011. Ó 2010 International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction Collaboration in simulation encourages relationship building and provides health care professionals with a deeper understanding of the roles of others (Robertson & Bandali, 2008). Multidisciplinary scenarios reported in the literature describe trauma team training (Harkins, 2009) and team training for obstetric emergencies (Draycott et al., 2008; Freeth, Ayida, Berridge, Sadler, & Strachan, 2006). These kinds of collaborative scenarios among team members of different disciplines help build communication skills as well as the technical expertise needed in emergent situations. Multidisciplinary simulations do not always need high-fidelity equipment. Social work and nursing students participated
Corresponding author: [email protected] (J. Willhaus).
in a home environment assessment simulation in Scotland (Mole, Scarlett, Campbell, & Themessl-Huber, 2006). A 3-hour workshop was conducted that involved a disorderly, dirty, and chaotic simulated home environment. Students evaluated the health, safety, and social care needs of an older adult. This scenario provided students of two disciplines an introduction to the needs assessment process. The following three examples of collaboration may provide a springboard for new ideas in nursing programs using simulation.
Exercise Physiology Scenarios In 2006, the nursing and exercise physiology departments in a small university collaborated in the creation and implementation of simulations for sports medicine students.
1876-1399/$ - see front matter Ó 2010 International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ecns.2010.02.011
Interdepartmental Simulation Collaboration in Academia: Exploring Partnerships With Other Disciplines Although students in sports medicine become skilled in treating sports injuries, they also may encounter athletes, coaches, and even spectators with neurological, cardiac, or pulmonary emergencies. The nursing simulation coordinator developed scenarios for use on moderate- and highfidelity simulators for the sports medicine students. The sports medicine students spent four 1-hour sessions in the nursing simulation lab. During the first Key Points two sessions, students Collaborative simulation practiced a variety of enriches the student learnskills, such as assessing environment. ing blood pressure, Collaborative simulation conducting otoscopic offers new research ideas. exams and screening Collaborative simulation vision. They also lisaugments the skill sets of tened to adventitious the collaborators. heart and lung sounds. During the final two sessions, students participated in simulation scenarios involving (a) a school-aged child with a spontaneous pneumothorax, (b) a coach who was having a stroke, (c) a pregnant yoga instructor experiencing an asthma attack, and (d) a football player who had been momentarily unconscious after a tackle. The exercise physiology program director incorporated the sessions into his curriculum and received favorable comments on the use of interdisciplinary resources from the program’s accrediting body. Later he used the simulation lab as a location to record an educational video to demonstrate removal of football pads and helmets from players with suspected head and neck injuries.
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which was approved by the nursing department’s internal review board, guided the instructor to allocate more time in future classes for radiology students to master the skill of vital sign measurement. The next semester the radiology instructor received a monetary award toward the purchase of a moderatefidelity child manikin for her department. Interdisciplinary work had demonstrated to the college dean that a need existed for additional equipment in the radiologic technology program.
Criminal Justice Scenario In summer 2009, two nursing doctoral students were asked to assist with a study conducted by the criminal justice studies department. These students were asked to participate because of their understanding of simulation principles. The data collection was part of a larger study that evaluated the relationship between sleep deprivation and the ability of police officers to determine when deadly force is needed. Expert officers were to respond to the simulated scenarios either with or without deadly force, as appropriate. In addition to information on target accuracy, physiological measurements such as tidal volume, brain wave patterns, and cardiac wave patterns were recorded. The ongoing study demonstrates a complex and well-organized protocol. Simulations can be used to study responses to uncommon, but deadly, occurrences. Similar situations arise in health care, when decisive action is needed but is seldom practiced because of the infrequent occurrence of the event. A parallel situation might be nurses practicing a response to a cardiac emergency, such as in a mock code drill at a hospital.
Radiologic Technology Scenarios Conclusion In fall 2008, an instructor in the radiologic technology program and a nursing simulation coordinator conducted a pilot research project to teach radiology students how to assess vital signs. The students came to the nursing simulation lab to learn and practice assessing blood pressure, pulse, and respirations on high- and moderatefidelity manikins. While on-site, students also practiced other skills, such as inserting intravenous access devices, transferring patients, and transporting through a hallway a wheelchair-bound patient with an IV pump and pole. Although students reported more confidence in ability after two 1-hour practice sessions, an evaluation by the instructor revealed that most students were not yet competent to accurately assess blood pressure and pulse. All students were able to accurately count respirations. Students completed a Likert-type questionnaire before and after the sessions in order for researchers to evaluate the students’ confidence in assessing blood pressure, pulse, and respirations. Accuracy was measured by having the students use a moderate- or high-fidelity manikin to demonstrate assessment skills for the instructor. The experiment,
Multidisciplinary collaboration can increase opportunities for research and maximize simulation lab use. Shared ideas among colleagues of different backgrounds demonstrate diverse uses for simulation.
References Draycott, T. J., Crofts, J. F., Ash, J. P., Wilson, L. V., Yard, E., Sibanda, T., et al. (2008). Improving neonatal outcome through practical shoulder dystocia training. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 112(1), 15-20. Freeth, D. P., Ayida, G., Berridge, E. S., Sadler, C., & Strachan, A. (2006). MOSES: Multidisciplinary obstetric simulated emergency scenerios. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 20(5), 552-554. Harkins, D. (2009). Trauma is a team sport. Journal of Trauma Nursing, 16(2), 61-63. Mole, L., Scarlett, V., Campbell, M., & Themessl-Huber, M. (2006). Using a simulated chaotic home environment for preparing nursing and social work students for interdisciplinary care delivery in a Scottish context. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 20(5), 561-563. Robertson, J., & Bandali, K. (2008). Bridging the gap: Enhancing interprofessional education using simulation. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 22(5), 499-508.
pp e231-e232 Clinical Simulation in Nursing Volume 6 Issue 6
www.elsevier.com/locate/ecsn
Featured Article
Interdepartmental Simulation Collaboration in Academia: Exploring Partnerships With Other Disciplines Janet Willhaus, MSN, RN, Doctoral Student Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99210-1495, USA KEYWORDS Simulation; interdisciplinary; exercise physiology; radiologic technology; criminal justice
Abstract: Multidisciplinary collaboration provides opportunities for growth in any simulation program. Simulation coordinators pursuing excellence may find unlikely partners among health care and nonehealth care professionals. Non-nursing collaborations can offer students, faculty, and simulation coordinators fresh views about simulation in an interdisciplinary climate. Examples of cooperative work with instructors and researchers in radiology, sports medicine, and criminal justice studies are described. Sports medicine students participated in scenarios involving a school-aged child with a spontaneous pneumothorax, a coach who was having a stroke, a pregnant yoga instructor experiencing an asthma attack, and a football player who had been momentarily unconscious after a tackle. Nursing students were asked to participate in criminal justice scenarios because of their understanding of simulation principles. Cite this article: Willhaus, J. (2010, November). Interdepartmental simulation collaboration in academia: Exploring partnerships with other disciplines. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 6(6), e231-e232. doi: 10.1016/ j.ecns.2010.02.011. Ó 2010 International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction Collaboration in simulation encourages relationship building and provides health care professionals with a deeper understanding of the roles of others (Robertson & Bandali, 2008). Multidisciplinary scenarios reported in the literature describe trauma team training (Harkins, 2009) and team training for obstetric emergencies (Draycott et al., 2008; Freeth, Ayida, Berridge, Sadler, & Strachan, 2006). These kinds of collaborative scenarios among team members of different disciplines help build communication skills as well as the technical expertise needed in emergent situations. Multidisciplinary simulations do not always need high-fidelity equipment. Social work and nursing students participated
Corresponding author: [email protected] (J. Willhaus).
in a home environment assessment simulation in Scotland (Mole, Scarlett, Campbell, & Themessl-Huber, 2006). A 3-hour workshop was conducted that involved a disorderly, dirty, and chaotic simulated home environment. Students evaluated the health, safety, and social care needs of an older adult. This scenario provided students of two disciplines an introduction to the needs assessment process. The following three examples of collaboration may provide a springboard for new ideas in nursing programs using simulation.
Exercise Physiology Scenarios In 2006, the nursing and exercise physiology departments in a small university collaborated in the creation and implementation of simulations for sports medicine students.
1876-1399/$ - see front matter Ó 2010 International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ecns.2010.02.011
Interdepartmental Simulation Collaboration in Academia: Exploring Partnerships With Other Disciplines Although students in sports medicine become skilled in treating sports injuries, they also may encounter athletes, coaches, and even spectators with neurological, cardiac, or pulmonary emergencies. The nursing simulation coordinator developed scenarios for use on moderate- and highfidelity simulators for the sports medicine students. The sports medicine students spent four 1-hour sessions in the nursing simulation lab. During the first Key Points two sessions, students Collaborative simulation practiced a variety of enriches the student learnskills, such as assessing environment. ing blood pressure, Collaborative simulation conducting otoscopic offers new research ideas. exams and screening Collaborative simulation vision. They also lisaugments the skill sets of tened to adventitious the collaborators. heart and lung sounds. During the final two sessions, students participated in simulation scenarios involving (a) a school-aged child with a spontaneous pneumothorax, (b) a coach who was having a stroke, (c) a pregnant yoga instructor experiencing an asthma attack, and (d) a football player who had been momentarily unconscious after a tackle. The exercise physiology program director incorporated the sessions into his curriculum and received favorable comments on the use of interdisciplinary resources from the program’s accrediting body. Later he used the simulation lab as a location to record an educational video to demonstrate removal of football pads and helmets from players with suspected head and neck injuries.
e232
which was approved by the nursing department’s internal review board, guided the instructor to allocate more time in future classes for radiology students to master the skill of vital sign measurement. The next semester the radiology instructor received a monetary award toward the purchase of a moderatefidelity child manikin for her department. Interdisciplinary work had demonstrated to the college dean that a need existed for additional equipment in the radiologic technology program.
Criminal Justice Scenario In summer 2009, two nursing doctoral students were asked to assist with a study conducted by the criminal justice studies department. These students were asked to participate because of their understanding of simulation principles. The data collection was part of a larger study that evaluated the relationship between sleep deprivation and the ability of police officers to determine when deadly force is needed. Expert officers were to respond to the simulated scenarios either with or without deadly force, as appropriate. In addition to information on target accuracy, physiological measurements such as tidal volume, brain wave patterns, and cardiac wave patterns were recorded. The ongoing study demonstrates a complex and well-organized protocol. Simulations can be used to study responses to uncommon, but deadly, occurrences. Similar situations arise in health care, when decisive action is needed but is seldom practiced because of the infrequent occurrence of the event. A parallel situation might be nurses practicing a response to a cardiac emergency, such as in a mock code drill at a hospital.
Radiologic Technology Scenarios Conclusion In fall 2008, an instructor in the radiologic technology program and a nursing simulation coordinator conducted a pilot research project to teach radiology students how to assess vital signs. The students came to the nursing simulation lab to learn and practice assessing blood pressure, pulse, and respirations on high- and moderatefidelity manikins. While on-site, students also practiced other skills, such as inserting intravenous access devices, transferring patients, and transporting through a hallway a wheelchair-bound patient with an IV pump and pole. Although students reported more confidence in ability after two 1-hour practice sessions, an evaluation by the instructor revealed that most students were not yet competent to accurately assess blood pressure and pulse. All students were able to accurately count respirations. Students completed a Likert-type questionnaire before and after the sessions in order for researchers to evaluate the students’ confidence in assessing blood pressure, pulse, and respirations. Accuracy was measured by having the students use a moderate- or high-fidelity manikin to demonstrate assessment skills for the instructor. The experiment,
Multidisciplinary collaboration can increase opportunities for research and maximize simulation lab use. Shared ideas among colleagues of different backgrounds demonstrate diverse uses for simulation.
References Draycott, T. J., Crofts, J. F., Ash, J. P., Wilson, L. V., Yard, E., Sibanda, T., et al. (2008). Improving neonatal outcome through practical shoulder dystocia training. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 112(1), 15-20. Freeth, D. P., Ayida, G., Berridge, E. S., Sadler, C., & Strachan, A. (2006). MOSES: Multidisciplinary obstetric simulated emergency scenerios. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 20(5), 552-554. Harkins, D. (2009). Trauma is a team sport. Journal of Trauma Nursing, 16(2), 61-63. Mole, L., Scarlett, V., Campbell, M., & Themessl-Huber, M. (2006). Using a simulated chaotic home environment for preparing nursing and social work students for interdisciplinary care delivery in a Scottish context. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 20(5), 561-563. Robertson, J., & Bandali, K. (2008). Bridging the gap: Enhancing interprofessional education using simulation. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 22(5), 499-508.
pp e231-e232 Clinical Simulation in Nursing Volume 6 Issue 6