Realistic simulation in the preparation and administration of medications: a systematic review

Abstract

Adverse drug events are multi-causal and interrelated, and it is important to know the causes and create prevention strategies. Realistic simulation is one of the methods widely used to discover the cause of these iatrogenies and as an effective method in the training of nursing professionals and students. The aim of this study is to identify and map how realistic simulations in the preparation and administration of medicines are being used in teaching and in the scientific community. This work is a bibliographical survey through a systematic review of online publications between 2012 and 2022. After selecting the articles, they were read and critically analysed. Of the 75 articles found, 52% were carried out in high-fidelity laboratories. As for the professional category, 29% had a multidisciplinary approach; as for the profile of the scenario used in the simulations, 43% involved scenarios for preventing iatrogenic events in adults. As for the aim of each study, 37% centred on simulation as a teaching resource. It was concluded that realistic simulation is an effective pedagogical tool for developing skills in students and professionals, it is a tool widely used to investigate the cause of adverse drug events and also to train professionals and students in the preparation and administration of medicines; it was shown that the lack of material resources is among the main causes for the occurrence of adverse drug events.