Blueprint for community emergency department pediatric simulation.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Simulation-Based Training

Background:

• Significant gaps exist in pediatric emergency care quality within community emergency departments (CEDs).
• In situ simulation offers hands-on experience to address these quality gaps.
• Over 85% of children receive emergency care in CEDs, highlighting the need for improved pediatric readiness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate a pediatric in situ simulation curriculum for CEDs.
• To create an innovative, replicable, and scalable program.
• To foster collaboration between community emergency departments and a regional academic medical center.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Kern's model for curriculum development, including needs assessment and goal setting.
• Co-developed educational strategies with CED and academic medical center (AMC) teams.
• Implemented 3-hour simulation sessions with remote facilitation by AMC and required leadership participation.

Main Results:

• Conducted 24 simulation sessions over one year, with 168 participants.
• 75% of participants reported improved skills in evaluating critically ill infants and toddlers.
• Participants reported enhanced teamwork and found simulation effective for pediatric resuscitation training.

Conclusions:

• Successfully developed and implemented a locally facilitated pediatric in situ simulation curriculum.
• The curriculum was well-received and demonstrated effectiveness in improving pediatric emergency care.
• Remote collaboration with an academic medical center supported the program's success.