In November 2023, I attended the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) conference in Brighton, focused on sustainable development and succession planning in healthcare simulation services. Key seminars and workshops included the strategic analysis of service and learning needs, thoughtful training planning, and investing in resources.
The ASPiH Standards 2023 (ASPiH, 2023) present a comprehensive framework for integrating simulation in healthcare education. This is particularly relevant for nursing, where the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2023) supports up to 600 hours of simulated learning within the 2300 practice hours required in the nursing curriculum.
This type of learning provides students with realistic and supervised experiences, helping them achieve programme outcomes and develop proficiency standards. Quality assurance of simulated practice learning is vital, and should involve feedback from students and stakeholders. It is important that simulated practice is contextualised and supervised, reflecting real-life interactions, rather than being limited to activities such as clinical skills training or watching videos. Simulated practice, designed to be as realistic as possible, complements actual practice learning by allowing students to encounter many common scenarios, overseen by practice supervisors.
The ASPiH Standards 2023 emphasise the use of simulation to enhance clinical skills, critical thinking, and decision-making abilities in a risk-free environment. For nursing education, this translates to a curriculum where theoretical knowledge is complemented with practical, real-world scenarios recreated in a controlled setting. Such an approach aligns with the NMC's vision of creating a flexible, responsive workforce capable of meeting contemporary healthcare needs.
Simulated practice also allows nursing students to gain hands-on experience in managing patient care scenarios that they might not encounter frequently in clinical placements. This exposure is crucial in developing well-rounded clinical competence, especially in handling high-risk or rare conditions. The Standards (ASPiH, 2023) advocate for realistic simulations that mirror actual clinical settings, thus preparing students for real-life challenges.
The Standards also encourage interprofessional education, where students from different healthcare disciplines learn together through simulation. This approach fosters teamwork, communication, and an understanding of the roles of different health professionals – all essential for effective patient care.
Nursing also involves dealing with ethical dilemmas and emotional situations. The ASPiH Standards 2023 highlight the importance of including these aspects in simulated scenarios, thereby preparing students to handle sensitive situations with empathy and professionalism (ASPiH, 2023).
Advancements in technology play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of simulated learning. The use of high-fidelity manikins, virtual reality and augmented reality can create immersive experiences that closely replicate real clinical environments.
Although the benefits of simulated learning are clear, there are challenges to its implementation. These include the need for adequate resources, trained facilitators, and up-to-date technology. Additionally, balancing simulated learning with clinical placements is crucial to ensure that students gain experience in actual patient care settings.
An integral part of the Standards is the emphasis on evaluation and continuous improvement of simulation programmes. Regular assessment of the effectiveness of simulated learning in achieving learning outcomes is essential.
The ASPiH Standards 2023 (ASPiH, 2023) provide a valuable framework for enhancing nursing education through simulated practice. By integrating up to 600 hours of simulation, nursing curricula can produce graduates who are clinically competent, emotionally prepared and adept at working in interprofessional teams. Although there are challenges in implementing such a programme, the benefits to nursing education and, consequently, patient care are substantial.