Welcome all students, residents, fellows, and all others looking to get started in the world of healthcare simulation! At this stage of your training, you’ve likely already participated in a simulation for educational purposes. But did you know that you can create and publish your own simulations (and that this is one fun way to satisfy a scholarly activity requirement)? Well, chances are, if you got to this webpage, you probably did know that but maybe didn’t know where and how to get started.
It’s true–getting your feet wet in simulation can be challenging without assistance from an experienced simulationist or simulation center. As a result, AAEM/RSA has developed a repository of resources for interested members looking to create case-based simulations. We hope you enjoy the guide!
Like any other field, there is jargon unique to the world of simulation. If you are entirely new to simulation development, you may find it helpful to utilize the dictionary below as you begin reading through articles and resources for simulationists.
Simulation has its own set of guidelines and best practices. Before embarking on creating your first simulation, take a moment to read the Standards of Best Practice written by the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning.
After getting an idea of the best practices, you are probably eager to start designing your case! Below are some articles and guides that will walk you through that process:
You are finally ready to map out your case (aka scenario)! This is the exciting part, but it requires meticulous planning. Luckily, there are several templates available online–browse through the curated list below, pick one you like, and get to work!
The simulation case/scenario is only one part of the overall simulation experience. You must debrief your learners after the case is complete, and this is arguably the most important part of your simulation! Debriefing is both an art and a science, and there are several techniques out there to accomplish this task.
After your simulation is complete, it is important to know what the learners thought about your case AND assess if your learning objectives were accomplished (i.e., did learning actually occur?). Developing a survey or test is one way to go about this. Note: if you are conducting research, your evaluation tool will likely need to be approved by an Institutional Review Board. Below are some evaluation tools (scales, surveys, etc.) to review when creating or adapting your own. It may also be helpful to review published simulations in the current literature to see how they evaluated their learners.
Once you have implemented your simulation on a group of learners and obtained feedback on your simulation case and/or data on learner performance, it is time to consider publishing it online. Here are some journals to consider:
Want to learn more about simulation development? Looking for more formal education?