Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026
07:36
Mechanical Ventilation Boot Camp Curriculum
Published on: March 12, 2018
Helping without harming: the instructor's feedback dilemma in debriefing--a case study
Jenny W Rudolph1, Erica Gabrielle Foldy, Traci Robinson
1From the Center for Medical Simulation (J.W.R., R.S.); Massachusetts General Hospital (J.W.R., R.S.); Harvard Medical School (J.W.R., R.S.); New York University, Wagner School of Public Service (E.G.F.); Alberta Childrens Hospital (T.R.); Wellesley College (S.K.); and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, School of Business (S.S.T.).
Summary
Simulation instructors can resolve the task-versus-relationship dilemma by adjusting their assumptions and interactions. This allows for rigorous, empathic feedback to improve learner performance in simulation settings.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Simulation-Based Learning
- Faculty Development
Background:
- Simulation instructors face a common dilemma: balancing direct feedback on task performance with maintaining learner relationships.
- This is particularly challenging in formative simulation settings where constructive criticism is essential for growth.
- Effective strategies for navigating this task-versus-relationship conflict are vital for simulation faculty development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore a case study of a simulation instructor struggling with the task-versus-relationship dilemma.
- To identify specific instructor assumptions and interactional patterns contributing to this dilemma.
- To propose actionable strategies for resolving the dilemma and enhancing feedback delivery.
Main Methods:
- A qualitative case study approach was employed, focusing on a single debriefer.
- The "2-column case" method was used to capture debriefing dialogue alongside the instructor's subjective experience (thoughts and feelings).
- A "learning pathways grid" facilitated a peer group's step-by-step analysis of the debriefing interaction.
Main Results:
- The instructor initially assumed honest critique would harm learners, used vague feedback, and created an unsafe learning environment.
- Analysis revealed that making generous inferences about learners, normalizing simulation challenges, and acknowledging diverse team understandings were effective strategies.
- The instructor's initial approach led to learners feeling unsafe and unclear about improvement pathways.
Conclusions:
- Resolving the task-versus-relationship dilemma in simulation requires specific instructor assumptions and interactional adjustments.
- By adopting these strategies, instructors can deliver feedback that is both rigorous and empathic.
- This approach supports the maintenance of good performance and the improvement of suboptimal performance in future simulations.
Related Concept Videos
01:56Ethics in Research
Today, scientists agree that good research is ethical in nature and is guided by a basic respect for human dignity and safety. However, this has not always been the case. Modern researchers must demonstrate that the research they perform is ethically sound.
01:23Techniques of Therapeutic Communication II: Focusing, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
Focusing involves centering a conversation on a message's critical elements or concepts. Focusing is valuable if the talk is vague or patients begin to repeat themselves. Sometimes, when patients are asked about their symptoms, they may go off-topic and try to tell their entire life story. Respectfully, the nurse should bring the conversation back into focus.
This therapeutic technique can also be used when a patient brings up pertinent information during a health-related conversation. The...
This therapeutic technique can also be used when a patient brings up pertinent information during a health-related conversation. The...
01:12Hindsight Biases
Hindsight bias leads you to believe that the event you just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn’t. In other words, you knew all along that things would turn out the way they did. Can you relate this to the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" now?
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
04:49Robbers Cave
During the 1950s, the landmark Robbers Cave experiment demonstrated that when groups must compete with one another, intergroup conflict, hostility, and even violence may result. At the Oklahoman summer camp, two troops of boys—termed the Rattlers and the Eagles—took part in a week-long tournament. During this time, their negativity culminated in derogatory name-calling, fistfights, and even vandalism and destruction of property. However, this work also revealed that such tension could be...
01:24Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback
Self-esteem is intricately tied to our perception of competence and our ability to exert control over our lives. One of the primary sources of this perception is performance feedback — the ongoing evaluation of our actions in terms of success and failure. According to Franks and Marolla (1976), people derive self-worth from experiencing themselves as causal agents, capable of achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. This process nurtures a critical component of self-esteem: self-efficacy,...