The effectiveness of debriefing in simulation-based learning for health professionals: A systematic review

© the authors 2012. Background: Simulation is defined as a technique used to replace or amplify real experiences with guided experiences that evoke or replace substantial aspects of the real world in a fully interactive manner. The use of simulation for educational purposes began decades ago with the use of low-fidelity simulations and has evolved at an unprecedented pace. Debriefing is considered by many to be an integral and critical part of the simulation process. However, different debriefing approaches have developed with little objective evidence of their effectiveness. Objectives: The aim of this review was to identify, appraise and synthesise the best available evidence for the effectiveness of debriefing as it relates to simulation-based learning for health professionals

Implementation & Evaluation of an Interprofessional TeamSTEPPS Simulation Program

Joint Commission 2015 sentinel event data identified communication as the third leading cause of all medical errors in the United States. The complex delivery of health care requires teamwork; however, members of the health care team are rarely trained together and often come from different educational and cultural backgrounds. To improve communication, an interprofessional high fidelity simulation-based program that uses the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality TeamSTEPPS® 2.0 Framework and associated communication tools was implemented and evaluated in a medium sized acute care community hospital. This quantitative descriptive correlational study addresses two research questions: (1) how does the implementation of a TeamSTEPPS® Simulation Program impact the communication between members of the interprofessional team? (2) How does the implementation of a TeamSTEPPS® Simulation Program impact individual’s attitudes, knowledge, and skills towards teamwork

From their eyes: Nursing student experiences using repeated reflection from the pediatric patient's perspective

Simulation-based learning (SBL) has been a core course component in nursing curricula for decades. The growing use of SBL has led to increasingly lifelike simulations and continued development to maximize learning opportunities. Reflection and debriefing are key components of SBL to improve learning outcomes and clinical skills. Reflection is often described as a process; however, nursing students rarely have the opportunity to participate in the same simulation or clinical experience twice to completely engage in the reflective process. Reflection from the patient’s perspective is a new concept to simulation, first done by Taplay (2020) using the Reflective Practice from the Patient’s Perspective (RPPP) tool. In this study, we applied the RPPP 3.0 tool to a pediatric nursing simulation, where the simulated child wore spyglasses to record visual and audio data of the simulation (Taplay, 2020). Participants watched their simulations from the patient’s perspective and partook in an interview guided by the RPPP 3.0 tool (Taplay, 2020). Then, participants returned within 2-9 days to repeat the same simulation and reflection. Participants found value and meaning in the repeated reflection. Themes of reactions, communication, appraisal of performance, and the difference were found. Reflecting from the pediatric patient’s perspective allowed participants to gain insight into how their actions and communication were perceived. Repeating reflection encouraged participants to partake in self-directed preparation and allowed them to gain confidence, implement change, and improve their practice

Reviews

Brian Clegg, Mining The Internet — Information Gathering and Research on the Net, Kogan Page: London, 1999. ISBN: 0–7494–3025–7. Paperback, 147 pages, £9.99

The Current Practice of Nursing Clinical Simulation Debriefing: A Multiple Case Study

Experts have identified simulation debriefing as the crucial or pivotal point to learning (Baldwin, 2007; Gaba, Howard, Fish, Smith, & Sowb, 2001), and the “heart and soul” of simulation (Rall, Manser, & Howard, 2000, p. 517). No research studies exist that support how best to perform this crucial activity, particularly as it relates to nursing clinical simulation (NCS) debriefing. My aim in this study was to explore and describe the current practice of NCS debriefing. I studied the phenomenon as it naturally occurred, a group exercise, and interaction between the educator, student, and environment. The research question was the following: How is NCS debriefing currently practiced? No data exist regarding the proposed study; therefore, a purposive sample of four individual cases was proposed as an adequate number to acquire sufficient intercollegiate variation. I chose study sites from the three geographic locations of Tennessee: West, Middle, and East. Creating individual case descriptions was the first analytical method used to begin cross case analysis. I then reduced the data using several techniques: categorical aggregation, time-ordered displays, content analysis, and pattern matching. Iterative comparison of data resulted in further reduction. The videotapes served as bases throughout the entire analytical process and were considered the primary source if any dispute or disagreement among sources occurred. After cases were analyzed individually, a cross case analysis revealed patterns or potential typologies of instructor participants. The final cross case synthesis of the emerged patterns produced seven patterns; four patterns matched those of the extant literature, (communication, time, structure, and emotion), and three new patterns emerged: accentuate the positive, higher order thinking, and experience counts. Debriefing provides students the opportunity to reflect on their experiential learning exercises and to hypothesize how they might perform differently next time. Debriefing also offers students a reality check, a way to see themselves through the eyes of the teacher or their peers, something the participants in this study (i.e., students and educators) valued and sought