A simulation is an educational experience, so the first and most important part of creating a simulation is deciding on its educational goals. Everything in the simulation will revolve around those goals.
Then, we’ll sit down together to discuss how to construct a scenario that will deliver that education. We’ll discuss the patient’s condition, history, and current location.
In addition to being education, simulation also has a theater aspect, as no manikin can exactly mimic everything a human can do. Once the scenario has been drafted, we at MESA need to get creative. What do we need to do to make this manikin enough like the patient in the scenario so that the participants can suspend disbelief and act as if the manikin is a human?
We’ll need to plan where and when the simulations will actually occur. They can be in our simulation room or in situ in your area. They can be announced or unannounced. If they’re announced, you’ll need to arrange how the participants will be scheduled.
Finally, we’ll actually perform the simulation, both the simulation itself and the debriefing afterwards. In the debriefing, probably the most important part of the experience, the participants critique themselves to identify both the parts that went well and the parts that could be improved. This allows for professional development, by stimulating the participants’ ability to judge themselves how they performed, and understand what they need to do to improve their practice.