LGH’s Coastal Simulation Program turns 1
A year ago this month, the Coastal Simulation Program at Lions Gate Hospital lifted off. And the last year has been nothing short of amazing, says Karen Schafer, Education Lead, Simulation Strategy.
“The program has exceeded our expectations,” says Karen. “We are nearly at capacity with 16 days booked for 19 events this month, many of those day-long events.”
Giving thanks
“We have so many people to thank for getting us to where we are today,” says Karen. “We are very grateful to the LGH Foundation, the Coastal Senior Leadership and Clinical Education. Thanks as well to the UBC Faculty of Medicine for generously sharing its education space on the second floor at the HOpe Centre, where our Sim Centre is located.”
Simulation is an interactive learning and practice technique, often using high-tech manikins (in this case SimMan, SimJr. and SimBaby) to create emergency situations or typical patient care scenarios that “simulate” reality in a risk-free environment. It also provides an opportunity to improve systems and processes.
Meet the team
Over the last year, Karen along with Dr. Shannon Chestnut, Medical Education Lead, Carrie Edge, Regional Clinical Educator and Dr. Chris Chin, Medical Simulation Education BC Children’s Hospital, have facilitated the training of more than 50 staff members to facilitate simulation education in their area of clinical practice. Most of these are nurse educators and physicians at LGH, which currently has 10 main teams of educators consistently providing simulation-based education.
“I’m amazed at how the momentum has built within the LGH community to support, encourage and demand more and more simulation events,” says Shannon. “The Foundation and senior administration have been champions of simulation and have helped us integrate it into life at LGH.”
Meet the Team: Karen Schafer – Education Lead, Simulation Strategy, Clinical Education; Richard Pinto – Sim Operations Specialist, Clinical Education; Dr. Shannon Chestnut – Medical Education Lead, Simulation
In September the program welcomed Richard Pinto, Sim Operations Specialist who is now running and maintaining the high-tech simulators – SimMan, SimJR and SimBaby as well as supporting all of our events.
Supported courses
Simulation-based courses currently supported include:
- ACLS – Advanced Cardiac Life Support
- PALS – Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- NRP – Neonatal Resuscitation Program
- MoreOB – Managing Obstetric Risk Efficiently
- STRUC – Simulation Trauma Resuscitation Update Course
- Mock code blues all over the hospital
- Insitu – Simulations on units: Pediatrics, Emergency and ICU
- Resident sims
- Hospital Orientation Day 2& 3
- Emerg evening events at the Sim Centre
- Sechelt OR
- Squamish OR
And as of this month, all new nurses at LGH receive simulation training on Day 2 and 3 of their new hire orientation. The areas of focus are MSIP (Musculoskeletal injury prevention), the first five minutes of a code blue and safe blood transfusion.
This winter saw the beginning of the outreach portion of the Simulation Program. SimMan went on the road visiting Sechelt Hospital and Squamish General Hospital for OR scenarios. Plans to travel to up the coast and corridor are also in the works.
What’s in store for 2016
Karen and Shannon are looking forward to on-boarding new user groups and continuing to support the program’s current teams.
Later this year, a new large learning space will open in the Academic Hub on the 2nd floor of the HOpe Centre. This space gives priority to education and offers classrooms, meeting rooms, a clinical skills room, the library and a second sim room.
“I’m excited to what year two will bring with expansion into the community and more and more events,” says Shannon.
The program now has a new website on vch.ca that can be accessed from home. It appears under the Staff section.
Lions Gate Hospital emergency department staff use SimBaby to conduct pediatric emergency scenarios.