Implementing an Interprofessional Simulation Program for Paediatric Patient Safety

Simulation-based medical education is a widely recognised tool to improve patient safety culture and outcomes. Many preventable clinic errors are specific to the unit where they occur. We planned and conducted an interprofessional in situ simulation program aligned with unit-specific errors and report its design, implementation and evaluation.

This prospective, survey-based study was conducted at a paediatric tertiary care centre on a medical-surgical inpatient ward. Incident and accident reports were reviewed; the most frequent and/or severe events were identified. Eight in situ simulations were implemented over 8 months. Participants, including residents, medical students, nurses, pharmacists and physicians completed a survey exploring perceptions of the program's ability to improve patient safety.

Incident reports over 12 months were reviewed (n = 329). Four most frequent and serious errors were identified: intravenous solutions selection, enteral feeding rate or type selection, medication transcription and IV infiltration. Simulation participation rate was 86%; survey response rate was 65%. We evaluated the program using Kirkpatrick's model of educational training, assessing reaction through self-reported surveys and results through changes in incident report frequency. Overall, 86% of participants responded positively regarding the program's potential impact to enhance patient safety. This is supported by an increase in incident reporting the year following program implementation and a decrease in each simulation-targeted medical error, albeit not statistically significant.

Our experience in creating an in situ simulation program that aligns with unit-specific needs and addresses implementation challenges may provide valuable insights for other centres seeking enhance patient safety.