Ask any professional athlete what they do to improve after a big game, and you\u2019ll most likely hear the same answer: They watch themselves on film.<\/p>\n
MultiCare is applying that same methodology to professionals in the medical field through an expansion of the Wagner Simulation Training Center at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a project that\u2019s been in the making for the past two years, starting first at Tacoma General with plans to expand the same training advancements to all major MultiCare campuses.<\/p>\n
The expansion \u2014 supported by contributions from community donors \u2014 consists of a few different components: enhanced technology, an advanced mock patient suite and greater accessibility of simulation training equipment across MultiCare facilities.<\/p>\n
Together, these advancements will provide staff with more realistic training experiences in a \u201cfail-safe\u201d environment, resulting in higher-quality care, improved safety and better patient outcomes.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a learning perspective, we need to be very strategic about closing our gaps and staying ahead,\u201d says Deb Genet, MultiCare\u2019s director of education services.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s been leading the charge for the expansion project since August 2018.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most important thing is that we have highly trained clinicians to take care of our patients, and the only way we can continue to do that is through practice \u2014 frequent, realistic practice,\u201d Genet explains.<\/p>\n
Having the proper technology is a critical piece of that practice. MultiCare recently purchased a new learning platform called CAE Learning Space, which allows instructors to film staff as they simulate everything from simple blood draws to complex traumas.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal is being able to train people and get them comfortable and confident in these situations that they don\u2019t get to see every day, or maybe that they wouldn\u2019t ever get to learn about in a hands-on way while they\u2019re still in school,\u201d says Cass Bucey, RN, who is a simulation instructor for the training center.<\/p>\n
A more team-focused approach to training is another big improvement that\u2019s come from the expansion, especially for new nurses.<\/p>\n
MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital is expecting a record number of nursing students who will complete their residencies at the hospital this year \u2014 close to 350.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re creating a safe environment for them to not only learn specific skills, but to learn together, too,\u201d says Josh Fitch, RN, another simulation instructor on the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny one person can be good at something, but when you\u2019re out there taking care of patients, you need to know how to be part of a well-functioning team during high-stress situations,\u201d Fitch explains. \u201cA simulation environment provides a safe place where they learn how to work together, and what to do when communication fails. When that happens in real life, someone will get hurt. But when it fails here, we sit down and talk about how they can improve for next time.\u201d<\/p>\n
During a simulation, instructors like Fitch observe participants from a separate room where they can control what happens to the \u201cpatient\u201d \u2014 a high-tech mannequin that can cost up to $100,000.<\/p>\n
As a nurse takes the pulse of the patient during a simulation, for example, the instructor can cue things like a drop in blood pressure, an increase in heart rate, bleeding, sweating \u2014 they can even simulate a lack of oxygen by causing the mannequin to turn blue in the face.<\/p>\n
Then it\u2019s up to the group of staff members to work together, just as they would in a real-life situation, to stabilize the patient. A debrief with the instructor takes place afterward, where the entire group watches the recorded footage together.<\/p>\n
The CAE platform also allows MultiCare to merge training data with safety and quality metrics.<\/p>\n
\u201cData collected in the CAE system can demonstrate learner improvement and help us gauge the impact our simulated trainings are providing to staff, right down to the individual learner level,\u201d says Alex Clark, education systems analyst.<\/p>\n
Those who have participated in a simulation since MultiCare acquired the CAE platform say it\u2019s one of the most realistic trainings they\u2019ve ever experienced.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learned so much, and will definitely be incorporating this new knowledge into my practice,\u201d says one nursing resident from the critical care unit.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of the mannequins I\u2019ve used before didn\u2019t even have arms or legs. But the one I used in the new simulation training here can talk, make noise, blink \u2014 it\u2019s just so much more realistic. And being able to handle all of the same equipment that would normally be used with a patient just makes that much more real,\u201d says another resident, from the emergency department unit.<\/p>\n
In 2019 and beyond, MultiCare plans to seek accreditation for its simulation program across the system, in addition to seeking ongoing funding that will allow staff to become certified simulation educators and create additional trainings. Some of the simulations that have already been developed include CPR, defibrillation, sepsis and respiratory failure.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sky\u2019s the limit with sim \u2014 that\u2019s the great thing about it,\u201d Clark says. \u201cWe know what it\u2019s capable of, and now we\u2019re just getting started with learning how to really utilize it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new patient simulation suite at Tacoma General has been made possible by support from the Dart Foundation, the G. Corydon Wagner Endowment Fund, the Tacoma General Hospital School of Nursing Education Endowment Fund and donors to MultiCare Health Foundation. Ongoing contributions will provide expanded access to simulation training throughout MultiCare.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
During a simulation, instructors control what happens to the \u201cpatient\u201d \u2014 a high-tech mannequin that can cost up to $100,000.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":123,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n