The Challenge
Aiming for improved quality of care & increased patient safety, Great Western Hospital in Swindon, UK wanted to integrate simulation training with the established staff training program.
The Customer
The Great Western Hospital is a 600 bed, district general hospital in Swindon, UK providing emergency care, surgery, diagnostics, pediatrics, maternity, out patient and day care services.
The Solution
The hospital integrated simulation with the existing staff training program in the late 1990s. Their core activity is to develop and facilitate simulation training for the hospital’s staff. Lengthy, personalized debriefings contribute to refine and augment the learning outcome generated from the simulation experience. The training facilities are located at the Educational Department on the hospital’s ground floor and comprise 2 simulation rooms, 2 lecture halls, and several rooms used for briefs and debriefing sessions. Skills training and training with micro simulation (Laerdal MicroSim) takes place in the designated training facilities, while full-scale simulation training is normally conducted on the wards (in-situ training). This way the hospital’s medical teams – nurses and physicians - are able to train together in their daily environment, using their ordinary tools and equipment. Training equipment currently includes 1 SimMan, 1 SimBaby, 1 ALS simulator, MicroSim, and a number of skill trainers and manikins.
The Results
In addition to facilitating training for their own medical personnel, the Great Western Hospital in Swindon provides simulation training for primary care trusts, the local police force, and for personnel from other local hospitals. Whether the training is conducted in the designated simulations rooms or carried out in situ (on the wards), the simulation training enables the participants to train in a safe, controlled environment, without causing harm to real patients.
