The use of simulation-based teaching in health care has become increasingly widespread within health care education in recent years. Simulation is an educational approach that uses realistic scenarios to replicate clinical situations, allowing learners to practice and develop skills in a safe environment. Within palliative care simulation-based education can offer a valuable approach for healthcare professionals to practice for example communication skills and care of patients with palliative care needs in an environment conducive to deep and meaningful learning. A palliative care simulation scenario can incorporate high-fidelity or mid-fidelity manikins, simulated clinical role players, skills stations, and critical assessment and management skills. Simulation based teaching aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice by permitting learners to apply knowledge, critical thinking, and decision-making skills in scenarios that mimic real-world situations.
Shooting Star children’s hospices (UK) in collaboration with academics from nursing at Kingston University London (UK) have been working together over the last few years to embed simulation-based teaching in the educational offer at the Hospice. With monies from Burdett Nursing Trust a full body child simulator was purchased, and a pilot project commenced. The pilot carried out involved train the trainer days first, then ran 4 separate workshops for staff. Evaluation was positive and suggested that simulation can positively enhance staff knowledge and confidence (Richardson et al, 2024). When presenting our findings, learning and experiences from the project at the Together for Short Lives Conference 2022 the follow up questions and interest from UK children’s hospice and practitioners providing palliative care to children young people and their families in the hospital setting became apparent to us as a team.
The team involved in developing the package included –
- Rebecca Whiting, Practice Educator Facilitator, Shooting Star Children’s
Hospices
- Sally Richardson, Associated Professor Simulated Learning and Clinical
Skills, Kingston University
- Dr Anna Chadwick, Registrar in Paediatric Palliative Care, Great Ormond
Street Hospital
- Professor Jayne Price, Professor of Children’s Nursing Kingston University
Thus, we set about developing an e-learning train-the-trainer programme for educators in palliative care settings to guide them in the steps necessary to introduce simulation-based teaching within palliative care settings. Drawn from our own experience and successful collaboration, areas covered in discrete and interrelated sections are:-
- The Simulation Environment
- Scenario Writing
- Running the Scenario
- Debriefing
Professor Jayne Price, who was part of the project team said ‘Whilst the package drew on our experiences from embedding simulation-based learning in the children’s hospice setting, the design was broad to enable its transferability to the adult palliative care setting also. Further, the material covered guides educators through the different aspects of getting started regardless of the resources available’.
The package can be accessed and purchased for £30 from the link below –
https://sschospices.litmoseu.com/online-courses/
In addition, for any further information contact – rebecca.whiting@shootingstar.org.uk
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