Implementation and Evaluation of a High-Fidelity, Interprofessional Simulation Project Using Standardized Patients to...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatric Nursing
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Increased aggression in a psychiatric emergency program led to more assaults, restraints, and security interventions.
• Root cause analysis identified a need for enhanced training in de-escalation, teamwork, and communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an interprofessional, high-fidelity simulation project on managing de-escalation and aggression.
• To improve interdisciplinary collaboration for safe and effective patient care.

Main Methods:

• 171 interdisciplinary team members participated in a 2.5-hour educational initiative.
• Training included Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) and Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS).
• High-fidelity simulation with standardized patients, observation, and debriefing were utilized, with quantitative and qualitative data analysis.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant improvement in confidence to manage aggression was observed.
• Restraints decreased by 35% and injuries by 52% post-simulation.
• Qualitative analysis revealed opportunities to improve communication, role clarity, and de-escalation.

Conclusions:

• High-fidelity simulation with standardized patients can enhance interdisciplinary collaboration.
• This approach has the potential to improve the safe management of aggression in acute psychiatric settings.