Implementing, embedding and sustaining simulation‐based education: What helps, what hinders

Abstract

Objectives Although there is much evidence to support the use of simulation‐based education (SBE) in undergraduate education of health care professionals, less attention has been paid to how SBE, viewed as a complex intervention, is implemented and becomes embedded and sustained. This paper aims to explore factors that inhibited or promoted SBE becoming normal practice in undergraduate health care professional programmes. Methods Participants involved in the organisation, design and delivery of SBE in the north of England were recruited purposefully from higher education institutions (HEI) and National Health Service (NHS) Trusts through local networks for qualitative telephone interviews. Transcripts were analysed inductively using a hybrid approach involving simultaneous inductive open coding and deductive coding using normalisation process theory (NPT) as a theoretical lens. Findings A total of 12 NHS staff from 11 trusts and seven individuals from four HEIs were interviewed. There was considerable variation in the approach taken to implementation across organisations, which resulted in varying degrees of embeddedness. Implementation was challenged or enabled by organisational leadership, professional buy‐in and the development and maturity of the strategic approach. Variation in understanding of the scope and pedagogical aims of SBE led to inequity between professions and organisations in investment and participation, as well as design and delivery of SBE. Conclusions Given the complexity of SBE, best practice in implementation should be considered fundamental to the successful delivery of SBE. The findings provide an explanation of how contextual factors can support or hinder implementation to maximise potential benefits and learning outcomes; this understanding can be used to better inform development of SBE strategies and highlight potential factors needed to navigate contextual barriers so that learning outcomes can be maximised.

Postgraduate Interprofessional Case-Based Learning in Childhood Cancer: A Feasibility Study

“…The planning and execution of postgraduate educational programs require coordination with managerial staff and leadership. Educational initiatives should be an integral part of the organizations' policies, strategies, and practices [41,44,45] as coordinating between 13 groups of healthcare professionals, their separate leaders, and their work routines can be complicated.…”

Using in silico process simulation tools in pharmacy education: Considerations for pivoting to online learning

“…There is widespread use of simulation-based education in healthcare programmes, in particular relating to clinical skills and competencies (JRCPTB/NHS Health Education England, 2016;Ferguson et al, 2020). The value and challenges of such approaches, have been broadly reported in clinical education literature (Croft et al, 2019;Sarfati et al, 2019;Ferguson et al, 2020).…”

“…There is widespread use of simulation-based education in healthcare programmes, in particular relating to clinical skills and competencies (JRCPTB/NHS Health Education England, 2016;Ferguson et al, 2020). The value and challenges of such approaches, have been broadly reported in clinical education literature (Croft et al, 2019;Sarfati et al, 2019;Ferguson et al, 2020). However, the use of in silico, or computer-based process simulations tends to be reported more in educational literature relating to physical sciences, for example, chemical engineering (Li & Huang, 2017;Rasteiro & Urbano, 2017;de Lucas-Consuegra, Serrano, & Llanos, 2018;Golman & Yermukhambetova, 2019;Moodley, 2020;Nachtigalova et al, 2020;Roman et al, 2020).…”

Student contributions in simulation‐based education could be the key to success

“…As medical students at a university in the northwest of England, we read with great interest the research by Ferguson et al entitled 'Implementing, Embedding and Sustaining Simulation-Based Education: What Helps, What Hinders,' which evaluated the provision of simulation-based education (SBE) within the north of England. 1 A key limitation identified in this study was that students were not consulted in interviews. We would therefore like to provide our perspective on the discussion and share our thoughts on a potential method of actioning the authors' 1 concerns.…”

“…Given that effective interaction with our interprofessional colleagues will represent a vital aspect of our future careers, the minority opinion disclosed by an interviewee in their paper 1 With the increasing interest in portfolio careers, 3 students are pursuing academic roles as supplements to clinical work. We propose that inviting these interested students from all disciplines to contribute to the synthesis and delivery of SBE could broaden both its efficacy and appeal, as well as providing behind-the-scenes academic experience.…”