Clarifying the learning experiences of healthcare professionals with in situ and off-site simulation-based medical education: a qualitative study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Clarifying the learning experiences of healthcare professionals with in situ and off-site simulation-based medical education

T2 - a qualitative study

AU - Sørensen, Jette Led

AU - Navne, Laura Emdal

AU - Martin, Helle Max

AU - Ottesen, Bent Smedegaard

AU - Albrecthsen, Charlotte Krebs

AU - Pedersen, Berit Woetmann

AU - Kjærgaard, Hanne

AU - van der Vleuten, Cees

N1 - Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To examine how the setting in in situ simulation (ISS) and off-site simulation (OSS) in simulation-based medical education affects the perceptions and learning experience of healthcare professionals.DESIGN: Qualitative study using focus groups and content analysis.PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five healthcare professionals (obstetricians, midwives, auxiliary nurses, anaesthesiologists, a nurse anaesthetist and operating theatre nurse) participated in four focus groups and were recruited due to their exposure to either ISS or OSS in multidisciplinary obstetric emergencies in a randomised trial.SETTING: Departments of obstetrics and anaesthesia, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.RESULTS: Initially participants preferred ISS, but this changed after the training when the simulation site became of less importance. There was a strong preference for simulation in authentic roles. These perceptions were independent of the ISS or OSS setting. Several positive and negative factors in simulation were identified, but these had no relation to the simulation setting. Participants from ISS and OSS generated a better understanding of and collaboration with the various health professionals. They also provided individual and team reflections on learning. ISS participants described more experiences that would involve organisational changes than the OSS participants did.CONCLUSIONS: Many psychological and sociological aspects related to the authenticity of the learning experience are important in simulation, but the physical setting of the simulation as an ISS and OSS is the least important. Based on these focus groups OSS can be used provided that all other authenticity elements are taken into consideration and respected. The only difference was that ISS had an organisational impact and ISS participants talked more about issues that would involve practical organisational changes. ISS and OSS participants did, however, go through similar individual and team learning experiences.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine how the setting in in situ simulation (ISS) and off-site simulation (OSS) in simulation-based medical education affects the perceptions and learning experience of healthcare professionals.DESIGN: Qualitative study using focus groups and content analysis.PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five healthcare professionals (obstetricians, midwives, auxiliary nurses, anaesthesiologists, a nurse anaesthetist and operating theatre nurse) participated in four focus groups and were recruited due to their exposure to either ISS or OSS in multidisciplinary obstetric emergencies in a randomised trial.SETTING: Departments of obstetrics and anaesthesia, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.RESULTS: Initially participants preferred ISS, but this changed after the training when the simulation site became of less importance. There was a strong preference for simulation in authentic roles. These perceptions were independent of the ISS or OSS setting. Several positive and negative factors in simulation were identified, but these had no relation to the simulation setting. Participants from ISS and OSS generated a better understanding of and collaboration with the various health professionals. They also provided individual and team reflections on learning. ISS participants described more experiences that would involve organisational changes than the OSS participants did.CONCLUSIONS: Many psychological and sociological aspects related to the authenticity of the learning experience are important in simulation, but the physical setting of the simulation as an ISS and OSS is the least important. Based on these focus groups OSS can be used provided that all other authenticity elements are taken into consideration and respected. The only difference was that ISS had an organisational impact and ISS participants talked more about issues that would involve practical organisational changes. ISS and OSS participants did, however, go through similar individual and team learning experiences.

U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008345

DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008345

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26443655

SN - 2044-6055

VL - 5

SP - 1

EP - 11

JO - BMJ Open

JF - BMJ Open

IS - 10

M1 - e008345

ER -