Integrating paramedic and emergency nursing learner's and an in situ trauma team simulation

Abstract

The COVID-19 and its associated restrictions and closures provided challenges to health professions education programs in creating suitable clinical experiences to allow consolidation and application of the concepts learned from the classroom.  While in situ simulation has been well-established for continuing education with active clinical teams, there is a paucity in literature describing the integration of health professions learners in an in situ simulation.  This created an opportunity to integrate learners from  paramedic and postgraduate emergency nursing programs to participate in an in situ simulation with active clinical team members of an Canadian academic tertiary trauma center. A series of high fidelity simulations were designed and implemented with paramedic learners performing the initial assessment and management in the prehospital phase and subsequently handing over to a receiving team inside a trauma center. Preliminary feedback solicited from participants indicated that this was a valuable learning experience and provided an opportunity to practice technical and nontechnical skills.