Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
a presentation with these concepts highlighted for
their emphasis and appreciation, while “students”
attempt to ingest and incorporate their exposure to
these concepts filtered through their individually
experienced pasts. However, simulation is unique
by providing students in traditional educational
programs the opportunity to
apply
their learning
to solve realistic problems in realistic settings with
realistic resources and with realistic consequences
of their actions. Specifically for biodisaster, simu-
lation is an effective way for the students to reach
their goal of competency in performing unusual
tasks in unusual environments.
Beyond individual occupational expertise,
success or failure in any biodisaster will depend
greatly upon each participant's competence in
communication, collaboration, cooperation, leader-
ship, and followership. The seeds for many famous
disasters sprouted in the gaps between non-
cooperative “tribes” (e.g., Desert 1: covert mili-
tary rescue, Challenger: manned space launch,
Tenerife: commercial aviation, Chernobyl: nuclear
power). In crafting and executing biodisaster simu-
lations, improvements in resource allocation can be
considered, performed and evaluated. For example,
Dr. Dianne Rekow wants dentists to contribute to
disaster relief and crisis management [1]. Simula-
tion allows various practitioners to role-play their
contributions to scenarios, evaluate their actions,
and refine them.
There are no passive roles in simulation. Since
the ultimate goal of clinical education is for
students to become competent enough to assume
total responsibility for their own actions, simula-
tion is an excellent method for transforming theo-
retical understanding into competent action. Many
of the student and instructor postures, positions,
actions and inactions accepted in clinical educa-
tion with live patients are antithetical to clinical
education with simulated patients. In the former,
the instructor often stands between the patient and
the students while performing actions on or for
the patient while speaking to the students. In the
latter, instructors may say just enough to define
the situation, turn over the patient to the student,
and then leave the room. Students learn as they
practice problem solving and skill mastering in a
risk-free environment. The instructors' mission is
to craft an event that tells a story in the guise of a
treasure hunt using logical consequences to guide
the students as they work toward success.
21.4 Scenario Resources
While simulation is an educational tool useful for
augmenting existing learning programs, it does
require dedicated people, equipment and spaces.
21.4.1 People and their Labels
Students
are all those who participates in the
simulation experience but are naive to its design
and construction. In simulation, “students” are
expected to be dynamic contributors, and if they
are not, their instructors have failed them either
by poorly designing their role within the scenario
or by inadequately conveying what is expected
of them. Students should be assigned roles and
expected to progress in their learning. The only
time students should ever doubt their responsi-
bilities is when that uncertainty is an intentional
teaching objective of the instructors.
Instructors
contribute clinical and teamwork
expertise to the scenario design and construction.
Most participate during the simulation execution,
usually observing student performance and often
acting additionally as controllers to introduce real-
istic changes within scenarios as they proceed.
Some instructors may be experienced simulation
professionals.
Simulation professionals
contribute simulation
expertise and performance to the scenario design,
construction, and execution. They translate the
instructors' teaching objectives into realistic repre-
sentations. Some are also clinical content and
educational experts in their own right.
Clinical
and
clinician
refer to any situation and
person directly involving patient care. Likewise,
non-clinical and non-clinician refer to any situation
and person involving management and allocation
of care resources not including direct patient care,
even if such a manager were formally trained in a
clinical discipline.
Actors
are participants that are seen and or heard
“on stage” by the students. They usually contribute
