Developing team based acute care scenarios: a rural hospital experience

Area of Science:

• Healthcare education
• Nursing professional development
• Emergency medicine simulation

Background:

• Registered Nurses (RNs) in rural settings often lack professional development opportunities, especially in team-based emergency preparedness.
• Existing training rarely focuses on collaborative practice during life-threatening situations.
• Simulation offers a practical approach to bridge this gap in rural healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of team-based simulation scenarios.
• Focus on early detection and management of deteriorating patients in a rural hospital context.
• Support a larger research project on rural healthcare team training.

Main Methods:

• Development of three distinct team-based simulation scenarios.
• Inclusion of patient actors within a rural hospital setting.
• Description of associated assessment and feedback techniques.

Main Results:

• Simulation scenarios provided a platform for nurses to practice teamwork.
• Facilitated early recognition and management of acute medical conditions.
• Demonstrated the utility of simulation in a rural healthcare environment.

Conclusions:

• Team-based simulation is a valuable tool for rural registered nurses.
• Enhances or maintains critical emergency management skills.
• Addresses the professional development needs of rural nursing staff.