Using failure-to-rescue simulation to assess the performance of advanced practice professionals

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Education
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Advanced practice professionals (APPs) are integral to oncology care, often guiding patients with cancer who are failing treatment.
• Assessing APP performance in these critical situations is essential for optimizing patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the most effective method for evaluating APP competency in oncology, specifically for patients experiencing treatment failure.
• To benchmark APP performance against established clinical standards.

Main Methods:

• A preliminary descriptive study involved 14 APPs who completed a self-assessment using the Basic Knowledge Assessment Tool (BKAT)-8SR.
• Participants engaged in a four-hour simulation and classroom experience with competency checklists focused on 30 priority interventions per scenario.

Main Results:

• All APPs scored at or above the benchmark of a critical care nurse with one year of experience on the BKAT-8SR.
• APPs successfully enacted 27 of 30 anticipated interventions, demonstrating proficiency in critical care.
• APPs also introduced five novel interventions, indicating adaptive critical thinking beyond the predefined scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The simulation and assessment strategy effectively measured APP knowledge and critical thinking in oncology failure-to-rescue scenarios.
• This educational approach shows promise for enhancing APP skills and improving care for deteriorating cancer patients.
• Findings support the development of further team-based simulations and curriculum improvements for oncology APPs.