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Simulation based education is a core aspect of the BSc Paramedic Science at St George’s University of London. The dedicated simulation centre includes state of the art facilities, which allow for increased authenticity with the view to increasing students’ technical and non-technical skills. Historically, paramedic education has centred upon traditional classroom-based learning and the use of standardised manikins which demanded the imagination of students to envisage diverse clinical working environments and patient presentations. The risks associated with the discord between this and real working environments have been widely documented (Lame & Dixon-Woods 2018) and as such the need to move to more realistic methods of educational delivery has been advocated. Despite this drive towards achieving high fidelity simulation in prehospital education through the use of resources including professional actors, audio-visual media and imitation clinical equipment, it is not without its own potential for harm through the causing of ‘training scars’. ‘Training scars’ relate to unintentional malpractice and bias acquired through teaching that can pose a latent threat to patient safety. Opportunities for these adverse events can relate to any discipline, however research upon this predominately relates to firearms and police service education (Hall 2013). These can be related to both unrealistic situations, inauthenticity and disproportionate blocks to clinician intervention and patient interaction. In order to minimise the occurrence of these ‘training scars’, the Department of Paramedics ensure that students not only have access to high fidelity environmental resources and appropriate equipment needed to fulfil their role, but also that as educators we are mindful of the importance of cognitive and emotional safety within simulated education. We have devised a number of strategies within our paramedic programme to ensure the safety of our learners through thorough briefing and debriefing of students, faculty and actors, in situ resources to stop the simulation process and the presence of on-site pastoral care. Furthermore, we have recognised the need to strike a balance between ‘training scars’ and the counterproductivity of assumed invincibility through the provision of a ‘magic solution’ (Boal, 2002) which neither represents real working environments or the complexity of holistic patient management. This short presentation will discuss the importance of vigilance to this complex issue within simulated prehospital education and propose strategies to ensuring the confidence, preparedness and emotional resilience of our clinicians of the future. References Boal, A. (2002) Games for Actors & Non-Actors, 2nd edition, London: Routledge. Hall, C. (2013) ‘Quality Corner: Training Scars’ EMS World, Available at: https://www.emsworld.com/article/11218025/quality-corner-training-scars |
