This is an idea that’s been around since 2013, but I just recently started thinking it might be worth doing in our simulation center. We are currently creating standardized scenarios for our Pediatrics rotations and we are looking at the cueing that is currently being required. We want to be able to determine what explicit cues we are giving to learners with the hope of determining ways to reduce those cues. Paige and Morin (2013) did a very good review of the use of cues in simulation and found that the amount of cues is directly tied to the fidelity of the simulation. (Yes, I know there is a debate going on right now about the use of the word “fidelity” in healthcare simulation, but that’s a topic for another post.) If we see that learners are consistently being cued about snotty noses, that’s going to drive my management to want to improve the fidelity around infants with URIs (Upper Respiratory Infections). This trick may well be one way to make our Respiratory Distress scenario better.
Ed Rovera
+References
Paige, J. B., & Morin, K. H. (2013). Simulation Fidelity and Cueing: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 9(11), e481–e489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2013.01.001