High-fidelity simulation in post-graduate training and assessment: an Irish perspective

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Simulation
• Professional Development

Background:

• Financial constraints are a major barrier to human physiological simulation in clinical teaching globally.
• The Beaumont Simulation Centre in Ireland operates on limited, one-off grant funding.
• Diverse course offerings across specialties can help mitigate operational costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the attitudes of various Irish healthcare professionals towards full-scale simulation.
• To evaluate simulator-based courses and the utility of simulation for competency assessment.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to anaesthetists (n=51), nurses (n=48), and dentists (n=12).
• Participants used a five-point Likert scale (1=poor, 5=excellent) to rate simulator courses and competency assessment.
• Self-reporting questionnaires were utilized for data collection.

Main Results:

• Healthcare professionals rated simulator-based courses as 'very good' to 'excellent'.
• There was a consensus that full-scale simulation is acceptable and appropriate for educational purposes.
• Simulation was also deemed suitable for competency assessment by participants.

Conclusions:

• This research demonstrates the successful development of postgraduate courses within a simulation center facing budget limitations.
• It is the first study to investigate the attitudes of Irish anaesthetists, nurses, and dentists towards using full-scale simulation for assessment.
• The findings support the integration of simulation as a valuable tool in healthcare professional training and evaluation.