Simulations have become a part of studies and continuing education in health care

The subject is topical in various parts of the world, for which reason Lapland University of Applied Sciences is organising an international conference on it next February.

Simulation teaching is used as one form of learning in health care education. This teaching simulates practical situations that could otherwise be almost impossible to practice and repeat. These include dangerous and exceptional situations and other rare care situations.

Great investment has been made in simulation training in Finland, so the expensive, well-equipped simulation centers should be utilized in as many ways as possible. Simulation-based training has become established in specialized health care, whereas its use in basic health care is scant, and it is mainly used for resuscitation training.

Simulation teaching has expanded from simulator-centered acute treatment to the strengthening of interactive skills and ethical competence, including meeting a psychiatric patient, guiding the patient or client using various methods, and paying attention to family members during the treatment process. For this, a simulator (patient dummy) is no longer enough, but a real person is needed to act as the patient. In this respect also, simulation teaching in Finnish nursing education must be based on uniform criteria.

To establish shared practices and standards, Lapland University of Applied Sciences has started the Highlighting Nursing Simulations (HoiSim) project.

The importance of simulations increased due to the structural change in social and health services

Expanding simulation teaching to cover the municipal social and health services in Lapland is important to ensure the safety of Lapland’s residents, because the level of health care and social services is expected to decrease (Ministry of Employment and the Economy: Regional Barometer 2014).

The HoiSim project develops a training model that studies the role of simulation as part of continuing education in health care. At the same time, it highlights the opportunities created by simulation learning.

Systematic networking is necessary to harmonize practices, so the project is creating a network between Finnish universities of applied sciences providing teaching in nursing.

It will also be possible to link hospital simulation training environments to the simulation network, both in Finland and internationally. The network is being prepared in co-operation with 22 other universities of applied sciences providing simulation teaching in nursing.

An internationally topical subject

Simulation expertise has been developed and is being further developed in Europe and America in particular. As part of the HoiSim project, Lapland University of Applied Sciences is organising the international Nursing Simulation Alive conference. Held in Rovaniemi on 16–19 February 2016, the conference will be opened by Hanna Mäntylä, Minister of Social Affairs and Health. The keynote speakers will be international top researchers in simulation expertise.

Lapland University of Applied Sciences has an international network of specialists as well as the simulation environments ENVI in Rovaniemi and SKY in Kemi.

The Highlighting Nursing Simulations (HoiSim) project receives funding from the European Social Fund. The results should be ready by February 2017.

For more information, please contact: Paula Poikela, MA, Project Manager, Lecturer, paula.poikela, tel. +358 40 778 4798.

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Simulation training background

Health care simulation training originated from practical requirements. The Stanford University School of Medicine has been involved in the development of simulation teaching since 1987. David Gaba, Professor of Anesthesia, developed the first computer-controlled patient simulator and was one of the specialists who brought simulation to health care discussions as a means of improving patient safety.

In Finland, simulation training started in basic health care training and gradually spread to hospitals to ensure practical competence, first and foremost to develop and maintain clinical skills. Today, attention is also paid to multi-professional teamwork, interaction and leadership development.

There are now many forms of simulation teaching, and simulated patients can be used in numerous situations. Internationally, simulated patients have been used extensively and innovatively in the Netherlands and the US, for example. In Finland, simulated patients have been used in, for instance, meeting neurological patients in medical training in Helsinki. This autumn, Lapland University of Applied Sciences has held one training session for experience educators, and they have been involved in a few pilot trials as simulated patients at nursing students’ simulation events. Nursing students had very positive experiences about these trials. We have also started using hybrid simulations, which combine a simulated patient with a simulator or, for example, an anatomical plastic hand, if the treatment of the patient requires procedures like infusion.

In a simulated emergency section everything else is real except the patient.

Checking the "baby's" condition.