The 'gut bucket': a novel training tool for standardised patients

Standardised patients (SPs) are often asked to portray complex physical roles in which authenticity is paramount; however, SPs come from a variety of backgrounds, and may lack knowledge of basic anatomy and physiology that can hamper their portrayal. This lack of knowledge can lead to gaps in accuracy and credibility.

In our efforts to bridge the gap and create training that would lead to authentic and confident portrayals, we developed the 'gut bucket'. This three-dimensional learning tool is tactile, portable, simple and affordable.

The 'gut bucket' has life-size abdominal organs made from fabric resting in a standard plastic washbasin. The organs can be easily removed and manipulated to simulate different disease states (for example: appendicitis, kidney stones or cholecystitis). The tool is visually engaging and durable, encouraging SPs to handle the organs and become familiar with their size and placement within the basin and on themselves.

The SPs in our programme found that the 'gut bucket' provided a deeper level of knowledge, made them more confident in their portrayal and enhanced their experience, and they generally preferred the 'gut bucket' over traditional methods of training. This was demonstrated using 'gut bucket' training evaluation forms. The 'gut bucket' can easily be incorporated into training sessions to provide a kinaesthetic approach as well as increased engagement for the SPs. We hope others may benefit by sharing our experience with the 'gut bucket'.