Proposing “The Burns Suite” as a Novel Simulation Tool for Advancing the Delivery of Burns Education

Abstract

Educational theory highlights the importance of contextualized simulation for effective learning. We explored this concept in a burns scenario in a novel, low-cost, high-fidelity, portable, immersive simulation environment (referred to as distributed simulation). This contextualized simulation/distributed simulation combination was named "The Burns Suite" (TBS). A pediatric burn resuscitation scenario was selected after high trainee demand. It was designed on Advanced Trauma and Life Support and Emergency Management of Severe Burns principles and refined using expert opinion through cognitive task analysis. TBS contained "realism" props, briefed nurses, and a simulated patient. Novices and experts were recruited. Five-point Likert-type questionnaires were developed for face and content validity. Cronbach's α was calculated for scale reliability. Semistructured interviews captured responses for qualitative thematic analysis allowing for data triangulation. Twelve participants completed TBS scenario. Mean face and content validity ratings were high (4.6 and 4.5, respectively; range, 4-5). The internal consistency of questions was high. Qualitative data analysis revealed that participants felt 1) the experience was "real" and they were "able to behave as if in a real resuscitation environment," and 2) TBS "addressed what Advanced Trauma and Life Support and Emergency Management of Severe Burns didn't" (including the efficacy of incorporating nontechnical skills). TBS provides a novel, effective simulation tool to significantly advance the delivery of burns education. Recreating clinical challenge is crucial to optimize simulation training. This low-cost approach also has major implications for surgical education, particularly during increasing financial austerity. Alternative scenarios and/or procedures can be recreated within TBS, providing a diverse educational immersive simulation experience.

A Video Analysis of Intra- and Interprofessional Leadership Behaviors Within “The Burns Suite”: Identifying Key Leadership Models

“…The scenario was the same as that recently published by this group (7,8) . It was based on a 12year old girl who sustained a 15% total body surface area flame burn.…”

“…The participants also underwent focus group interviews postsimulation; this was audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Samples of this qualitative data have been previously published (7,8) . As the scenario involved intra-and inter-professional colleagues, the focus of this video analysis was on identifying underlying leadership skills, domains and approaches adopted within this simulated team resuscitation scenario, mapping them on to leadership theory.…”

“…A novel, low-cost, high-fidelity, portable, immersive simulation environment (referred to as distributed simulation, or DS) has recently been developed (3) . This concept has been shown to be effective for the delivery of burns education to both surgical experts and novices within an acute resuscitation scenario, denoted "The Burns Suite" (TBS) (7) . TBS was also shown to be a novel simulation tool to deliver inter-professional and SBTT in a burns resuscitation scenario comprised of doctors and nurses (8) .…”

The role of simulation in burns education

“…This low-cost, high-fidelity and portable simulation environment has been designed based on the advanced trauma life support and emergency management of severe burns principles. The realism has been further refined using expert opinion realism props, briefed nurses and simulated patients (Sadideen et al, 2014). The Burns Suite has a strong face and content validity, and provided an authentic burns resuscitation experience, as assessed by both novice and expert clinicians (Sadideen et al, 2014(Sadideen et al, , 2016a.…”

The Introduction of Standard Operating Procedures to Improve Burn Care in the United Kingdom

“…7 To address this, burn centers rely heavily on the constant availability of senior medical and nursing staff to provide advice and input, and on extended local induction sessions and national courses to teach junior clinicians about the principles of burn care. 8 The concept of using protocols in the resuscitation of acute burn injuries is not new.…”