High-Fidelity Simulation With Debriefing: Best Practice Education for Flight Nurses?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing Practice
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• High-risk, low-volume skills require effective training methods for proficiency.
• Flight nurses face unique challenges in maintaining critical procedural skills.
• Simulation with debriefing is a recognized strategy for skill maintenance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate high-fidelity simulation with debriefing for flight nurses.
• To measure improvements in skill acuity and retention for intubation procedures.
• To assess the impact of debriefing on clinical judgment during intubation.

Main Methods:

• Prospective evidence-based practice project.
• Involved flight nurses performing intubations during high-fidelity simulation.
• Included a debriefing session and 7-month skill retention testing.

Main Results:

• Mean intubation time decreased from 26.9 ± 11.9 to 24.8 ± 5.8 seconds post-debriefing.
• Mean checklist scores improved from 7.9 ± 0.4 to 9.4 ± 0.7 post-debriefing.
• Eight subjects completed all study phases.

Conclusions:

• Debriefing after high-fidelity simulation enhances flight nurse intubation performance.
• The intervention improved time to intubation and checklist scores.
• This method fosters better clinical judgment and mastery in critical procedures.