Health Care Simulation

This simulation experience allowed me to practice my focused assessment skills, delegation of tasks, prioritization on of tasks, interdisciplinary communication skills, and skills that I have not been able to participate in such as blood administration. I learned that my strengths are patient education, delegation, noticing changes in patient condition, and working as a member of a team. I need to improve my speed of completing tasks, my confidence, and my process of working through new skills.

The simulation environment offers a safe place for students to practice critical scenarios and gain confidence in proscribed settings (Decker, Sportsman, Puetz, & Billings, 2008). Simulation helps faculty to facilitate learning which meets one of the NLN’s core competencies. Simulation also enhances communication through emerging leadership and delegation skills, and builds teamwork through goal and priority setting (Dillon, Noble, & Kaplan, 2009). Therefore, according to Lasater (2007) simulation is highly effective as an adjunct teaching strategy in clinical practice.

Data plays an important role in this research. Collecting adequate and accurate data is paramount. Prior to data collection, requirements have to be established on what statistics are required for research. To build an accurate simulation model, each detail within the process has to be captured. Process maps have been put together to capture the patient flow and understand resource utilization as various types of patients use different resources for statistically variable amount of time.

The simulation in question deals with the Elijah Heart Center in New York State. The simulation covers three very distinction aspects of healthcare financial decisions that an administrator may have to make. First, a capital shortage and cost cutting techniques are delved into. What techniques can be employed that will provide adequate

For years nurses have gained experience in the medical field through clinical rounds at hospitals and doctors offices. Learning has always taken place first through textbooks and then through personal experience during required clinical time. These methods have proven effective but include limitations to the amount of exposure a student can gain before entering the workforce. A new way of learning is on the rise with the use of High Fidelity Simulations (HFS) or the Sim Man. HFS is a computerized life size manikin that simulates real human responses to treatment. This new technology allows students to practice rare procedures or treat common diagnoses.

My personalized knowledge and experience in the field of simulation comes from working in a simulation center within a hospital setting under the direction of the Quality and Safety Department. Providing a service like simulation within a hospital organization has come with its own set of challenges and barriers in trying to ensure that the quality and safety of hospital patients is always consistent. Because of the unforeseen issues like the way a simulation is obtainable in a hospital across different locations and everyday hospital dynamics between healthcare providers, has impacted the quality care and safety of our hospital patients and families. I anticipate that fostering a challenging and safe simulation learning environment would be

Sometimes failure can really be the best teacher. This was the case with the Lakeview Regional Hospital Simulation Exercise. During the simulation, I learned a lot about working with a team, knowing when to stand firm and when to compromise. I have been a part of plenty of projects, but sometimes I can be a little lost when it comes to the healthcare aspects of things. It was during these times that I looked to my teammates to assist with filling in some valuable blanks about the healthcare environment. I do have a lot of experience with introducing technology, training and media relations. It was during these parts of the simulation that I could really lend a helping hand. The simulation illustrated the importance of buy-in amongst the implementation team as well as other members of the entire organizations. It showed that there will always be some inherent resistance, but that doesn’t mean that change is impossible as long as there is some flexibility.

The simulation is useful because it evaluates project performance using real criteria, such as the scope, schedule and

Research databases offer people copious amounts of information, a lot of the information on these databases can be difficult to rummage through. After navigating through the following databases, PubMed, CHINAL, and the Cochrane library, I have found the following articles from these databases provide information that supports the effectiveness of practice simulation tools and simulations in the healthcare field to improve quality of care. This papers intention is to critique the research studies conducted showing the differences and similarities they may have and showing the importance of simulation tools and simulations.

The operating costs and financial benefits of simulation training, the preferred methodology for educating in the healthcare setting (Blanford, 2015), vary significantly due to organizational structure and available resources. Sources for the cost projections for simulation lab training include UAB Medicine Cost Reporting department, human resources benefit department, charge description master, literature reviews, and survey results regarding current “See one, Do One, Teach One” methodology from the nine Advance Practice Provider team leads (APPs) selected to be CVL experts. The cost projections will include the hours of utilization of the simulation training environment, total training hours per simulation lab educator, total

There are many challenges presented with healthcare organizations. Limited resources and capacities have to be accommodated to reduce unnecessary costs and maximize efficient operations. These decisions are tough and cause a great deal of pressure to healthcare organization leaders. In reference to the data, “decision makers often base these decisions on subjective information” (Hamrock, 2013, p.110). Discrete event simulation (DES) is a process of computerizing practical events. This method provides “decision makers with an evidence-based tool to develop and objectively vet operational solutions prior to implementation” (Hamrock, 2013, p.110). With this technique waste can be reduced while “maintaining or improving quality” (Hamrock,

A simulation is defined as the imitative representation of one system by another (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). More specifically, the Human Resources Management Simulation is a simulation where students portray the role of a Human Resources Director of a growing company. Its objective is to gain insight into the Human Resources department, develop the basic knowledge of its principles and test new concepts before implementing them to solve and improve the department.

Most of the previous types of simulations and simulators referenced evaluating methods and effective practices. In the distant past technological advancement in the form of medical training mannequins or board games were the bulk of technology based simulators. With the growth of the computer industry, we are naturally increasing our use of computerized technology. Simulation is absolutely no exception to this. Computer simulations have become one of the greatest and most common ways of creating a representative model of real world environments. Steadman, Coates, Huang, Matevosian, Larmon, McCullough, and Ariel (2006) pointed out the spread of simulations in the medical fields:

Simulation is a software package for modeling, simulating, and analyzing dynamical systems. It supports linear and non-linear systems, modeled in continuous time, sampled time, or a hybrid of the two. Systems can also be multi rate, i.e., have different parts that are sampled or updated at different rates.

Simulation has been used to analyze many issues in the healthcare sector for over 40 years [1]. Such issues that have been addressed by simulation include, but not limited to; improving patients’ workflows and throughput time, reducing waiting times, resources allocation and optimization, staff scheduling and development of decision support systems (DSS). Discrete Event Simulation (DES), Agent Based Simulation (ABS) and System Dynamics are the main simulation methods that have been used for healthcare systems’ modelling and analysis [2]. Although each of these methods has its own capabilities, they exhibit some limitations [3]. Table 1 summaries some of the capabilities and limitations of DES and ABS methods in healthcare applications.