Newsletter – October 2013 Website: www.nhet-sim.edu.au Telephone: 03 9905 0221 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the October edition of the National Health Education and Training in Simulation (NHET-Sim) Program: Debra Nestel - Monash Team Lead It is fantastic news that Health Workforce Australia has extended the NHET-Sim program to June 2014. We are very pleased that interest in the Program and requests to host NHET-Sim workshops has increased since SimHealth. Program Snapshot as at October 10th Registrations 3,153 Completions 1406 Workshops held 131 Active faculty 112 This Month’s Profile: In this month’s issue we profile Leigh Parker, a Lecturer in Paramedic Practice from the University of Tasmania. Leigh was ‘homesick’ for simulation and talks about her renewed interest in simulation since attending the workshops. It is also interesting to read Jan Roche’s profile as a facilitator of the Program. Jan found the Program a “wonderful means of establishing a common simulation language and understanding for future benchmarking”. SimHealth conference: We were pleased to see many of the NHET-Sim alumni and faculty at the recent SimHealth conference in Brisbane. The conference provided a wonderful opportunity to showcase the Program to new participants and enabled many clinicians and simulation educators to discuss the Program. If you are looking for ideas on how to keep the momentum in your workplace going after completing NHET-Sim, I encourage you to read Rebecca Marley’s commentary from the conference in Section Two. Lapel Pins: Many NHET-Sim alumni and faculty members visited our booth and collected their NHET-Sim lapel pin. We are working on distributing lapel pins to those who have completed the Program prior to the end of September but if you want to ensure we have your current mailing address please contact the NHET-Sim office on 03 9905 0221 or via email nhetsim@monash.edu. NHET-Sim is now on Facebook: The NHET-Sim program is now on Facebook. If you are a Facebook user please ‘like’ the NHET-Sim program page and connect with alumni and faculty. Some forthcoming workshops will be posted on Facebook. Best wishes, Debra Nestel 1 Newsletter – October 2013 Website: www.nhet-sim.edu.au Telephone: 03 9905 0221 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Section 2: SimHealth 2013 highlights: The Convenors of this year’s SimHealth conference were two of our very own NHET-Sim faculty, Stephanie O’Regan (Convenor) and Julian van Dijk (Scientific Convenor). Stephanie and Julian did a fantastic job putting together a scientific program that was diverse and interesting to many delegates. Many of the NHET-Sim Executive and faculty members chaired sessions, facilitated workshops or contributed as panel members at SimHealth. SimHealth delegate Rebecca Marley outlined at the conference how the NHET-Sim Program had been instrumental in her new role as Clinical Skills Laboratory Coordinator at the University of Newcastle in Taree. Rebecca attended the Simulated Patients session and here is a commentary of what she spoke about at the conference: “I would never have predicted the impact of NHET-Sim in my area. The first 2-day course was attended mainly by hospital educators, and some university lecturers. There was a lot of enthusiasm for simulation as a learning tool. I was really excited that these people got it! NHET-Sim had suddenly created a new community within the hospital. Many educators discovered they had been using simulation as a teaching tool, but were unaware of the power or potential of it. They now had the skills to use simulation purposefully, planned, performed and evaluated. NHET-Sim provided the language to communicate both with me and each other about a territory previously unexplored. This was education there was no precedent for. To keep this momentum going, I organised a ‘Get to Know your Manikin’ session. Educators throughout the hospital brought manikins and task trainers to a communal area. We got to know each piece of equipment and a consensus was formed that we should be pooling our resources. A register has since been created of all simulation equipment within the hospital. The education committee has requested, and been granted, the first maintenance service in 15 years of their high-tech manikins and agreed to purchase a SimPad. The General Manager has supported the creation of a Simulation Room to be accessed by all health professionals for continuing education. 2 Newsletter – October 2013 Website: www.nhet-sim.edu.au Telephone: 03 9905 0221 ____________________________________________________________________________________ A large part of my role is to support education for undergraduate health students by using simulation and skills training. Another part of my role is to support continuing professional development of local health professionals, both in the hospital and in the community. I have experienced a slow growing relationship with hospital professionals (several years). Since facilitating my first NHET-Sim course I have been invited to review and edit scenarios, brainstorm ideas about potential scenarios, contribute to debriefings, and offer advice on education. Some of the scenarios created include interdepartmental simulations. There is discussion between the Surgical Ward and Operating Theatre about creating a deteriorating patient that requires urgent theatre. One scenario I reviewed is a patient who receives thrombolysis in Emergency and deteriorates during transfer to Coronary Care/ICU. NHET-Sim has provided the platform for members from different units to work together, using a common language for a common goal. Since NHET-Sim I have also been invited to the weekly education meetings to contribute and create ways of working together to enhance the local health service education and skills. NHET-Sim has done in eight weeks what I had been trying to achieve over the last several years. Yes, you read it correctly8 weeks! NHET-Sim has created a new community, inter-ward and inter-hospital conversations and provided a common language for us. It has supported our university-health service collaboration and given us tool to use to enhance education of local health professionals.” Rebecca Marley Clinical Skills and Simulation Co-ordinator, Manning Clinical School, University of Newcastle, Taree NSW. The SimHealth conference proceedings including abstracts can be found on the SimHealth website: http://simhealth.com.au/ Prevocational Medical Education Forum post conference NHET-Sim workshop: South Australian Medical Education and Training (SA MET) is hosting the 18th National Prevocational Medical Education Forum from 3-6 November 2013 at the Adelaide Convention Centre. This year's forum theme is "Building the Future: Quality, Capacity, Creativity". On Thursday November 7th the NHET-Sim C2 workshop “Being a simulation educator” will be held at Flinders University, Sturt Road Campus, Adelaide. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please register using the online form available on our website. http://www.nhet-sim.edu.au/ 3 Newsletter – October 2013 Website: www.nhet-sim.edu.au Telephone: 03 9905 0221 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Section 3: Participant Spotlight: In this issue we spotlight Leigh Parker: Leigh is a Lecturer in Paramedic Practice, School of Medicine at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. Workshop: Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) Hobart workshops: 14th & 15th August 2013 Workshop Facilitator: Jenny Doyle For a few years now I have been ‘homesick’ for simulation. Once upon a time I was part of a two-person team that designed and oversaw the construction, equipping and running of a simulation suite that functioned incredibly well. That was two jobs ago and before my move to Hobart in April 2012. Shortly after my arrival I was given the opportunity to participate in NHETSim. I have enjoyed the online component of the NHET-Sim programme; it’s well constructed and supported by good literature, nevertheless there is something incredibly valuable about sitting down with others, who share an interest and just ‘talking-the-talk’. On a tour of the workshop facilities we visited the simulation suite, from first stepping through that door I knew I wanted to once again experience the thrill of running a scenario in a high fidelity and high technology suite. A true workshop highlight was the chance to sit in a control booth, run a simulator and experience the unfolding of the scenario that the team planned. The lesson I take away is the reminder that planning is important. What are the intended learning outcomes? Do the students have sufficient knowledge and skills for the scenario to work and, if running an inter-professional scenario, have we approached the planning from the perspective of all the learners? After the two days I was inspired to finish working through the online components of the course completing a program that (I confess) I signed onto a little while ago. If you want inspiration, motivation or a reminder that you love simulation then a tried and true workshop is a really great place to start. 4 Newsletter – October 2013 Website: www.nhet-sim.edu.au Telephone: 03 9905 0221 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Section 4: Faculty Spotlight: In this issue we spotlight Jan Roche: Jan is the Simulation Director, Chameleon, School of Medicine and Public Health, at the University of Newcastle. Located on the John Hunter Hospital Campus, in the Clinical Skills Training Facility, Chameleon is a purpose built SLE facility offering courses related to the undergraduate medical program and interprofessional learning. Simulation has had an important role in developing the skills of health students for many years. My involvement with high technology simulation commenced over eight years ago. In my latest role, I have had the privilege of establishing a new unit as a part of the full Joint Medical Program (JMP), an expansion of the highly successful University of Newcastle Bachelor of Medicine program. The JMP is a unique partnership between the University of Newcastle, the University of New England, Hunter New England and Central Coast Local Health Districts. This program recognises that the best type of learning is practical and simulation plays a key role in the program. responsibility we have to ensure each student is prepared for clinical practice. Simulated education is a wonderful learning modality. Witnessing the “lights turn on” and the increase in student desire to learn is a most rewarding experience. Chameleon offers facilities and expertise to create realistic health scenarios by using a blend of high tech manikins, simulated patients, medical equipment, expert staff, innovation and “fun learning”. As a facilitator in the NHET-Sim program I have enjoyed meeting new simulation folk who share this passion. The program has been a wonderful means of establishing a common simulation language and understanding for future benchmarking. I have met the wonderful people from Townsville, Tamworth, Taree, Launceston and of course Newcastle through co-facilitation of the C2, S2, S4, S5 and S6 workshops. I have found every workshop a wonderful mix of collaboration, networking, learning and practice. The NHET-Sim program has been such a positive step in the direction of shared goals, teaching and learning. Should you do this course? Of course! As a health professional with RN, ICU, OH&S, academic and research background, I truly appreciate the 5 Newsletter – October 2013 Website: www.nhet-sim.edu.au Telephone: 03 9905 0221 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Section 5: Some forthcoming NHET-Sim Workshops: Mid Oct/Nov 2013: 22nd Oct - Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW 25th Oct - CUCRH - Geraldton, WA 28th & 29th Oct – Monash Simulation, Bentleigh, VIC 28th & 29th Oct- Rural HETI Orange, NSW 29th & 30th Oct- Alice Springs Hospital, NT 29th& 30th Oct- Flinders University Sturt, SA 29th & 30th Oct- Monash Uni, Berwick VIC 30th & 31st Oct- University of Technology, Sydney, NSW 6th Nov – Eastern Health, Box Hill, VIC 7th, 11th & 12th Nov - UNSW MEDiSIM Port Macquarie, NSW 6th Nov – Eastern Health, Box Hill, VIC 11 & 12th Nov- Rural HETI, Goulburn, NSW 26th Nov – Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, VIC For a full list of workshops visit the NHETSim website and click on the calendar. Bookings are essential. Hosting a NHET-Sim Workshop: If you wish to explore the possibility of hosting a workshop or perhaps holding another workshop at your facility, please contact Robyn Eames on 03 9905 0221 to inquire about arranging a workshop. If you would like to include your profile in the NHET-Sim newsletter as a participant or faculty of the Program, please email Andrea Coulsell at andrea.coulsell@monash.edu. 6