Diversity & Equality in Health and Care Open Access

Simulation Training for Non-Critical Care Unit Nursing Staff to Improve the Critical Thinking, Confidence, & Skills in Basic Life Support

Sarah J Lee^* Wayne State University School of Medicine, MI, 48201, United States
^*Correspondence: Sarah J Lee, Wayne State University School of Medicine, MI, 48201, United States, Email:

Received: 10-Dec-2021 Published: 31-Dec-2021

Abstract

Recognition and timely management of medical emergencies in non-critical care units are essential in initiating and delivering high quality care. Simulation training is a constructive tool that can be used to refresh and maintain knowledge and skills for staff that may not encounter medical emergencies frequently. We designed educational materials and conducted a pre-/posttest study on a sub-acute and inpatient rehabilitation unit on the staff’s critical thinking skills, knowledge, role responsibilities and confidence levels prior to and after implementation of a mixed intervention of a one-hour webinar didactic and onehour case-based simulation with debriefing. Staff included registered nurses (RN), licensed practical nurses (LPN) and nursing aides after participating in a case scenario using a highfidelity mannequin to simulate a medical emergency. Among the 42 participants, there was a significant improvement in confidence for recognizing signs of patient deterioration for timely activation of code team (p < .001). Critical thinking skills and knowledge on appropriate activation of the type of response team based on patients’ needs and deterioration also improved after the intervention (p < .001). We concluded that a teambased case scenario simulation course may improve non-critical care nursing staff confidence, knowledge and critical thinking as it pertains to activation of code teams, their role prior to the code team’s arrival, and willingness to actively participate in medical emergencies.

Biography

Dr. Lee has completed her MD/MPH degrees and internal medicine residency at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Medical School and School of Public Health. She completed her Critical Care fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. She is currently the Simulation Medical Director and ICU Director at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Centre in Detroit Michigan and is an Assistant Professor at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. She has published abstracts and articles with in interest in Medical Education, Sepsis, and Quality Improvement and has served as a reviewer and guest editor for journals of repute.