Abstract

Developing the continuum of clinical skills teaching and learning; from simulation to reality

Author(s): Dr. Patsy Stark

Background: Clinical Skills Centres have been adopted throughout the world to teach a range of practical skills on manikins. However this model can have limited fidelity to real practice and encourage students to memorise the steps of the process rather than thinking about the patient as a whole. The emerging emphasis on patient safety and patient centred care reinforces the need for a holistic approach to teaching and learning clinical skills in simulation so that it can be demonstrated in real practice.

Objectives: There are a number of educational innovations that are moving toward preparing learners better for the transition from learning clinical skills in simulation to delivering them in practice. Three are considered here: interprofessional learning, scenario based teaching and supervised practice from the skills centre to the ward.

Discussion: High fidelity simulation and scenario based teaching models have refocused the educational process on integration and holism. The educational model combines effective communication skills with the ability to perform the task. Teaching clinical skills interprofessionally helps to develop teamwork and reflects the reality of modern healthcare delivery. Providing students with continued support and feedback during the transition from simulation to real practice helps to ground the new knowledge in experience, gives them confidence in their ability and enhances patient safety. All of these elements bring the educational world of simulation much closer to how healthcare practitioners work in real life.