International Journal of Healthcare Simulation

Background:

It is well established that simulation can help individuals and teams improve their clinical skills and confidence in managing medical emergencies ^[1]. In our region, a full-day simulation course on common neonatal emergencies was established in 2018 for paediatric trainees. It consists of four scenarios and two workshops. It is designed for eight candidates who are split into two groups so that each has an opportunity to ‘lead’ a simulation. The Diamond Model is used for debriefing. The course has been running 3–4 times per year and receives consistently excellent feedback. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the course was suspended.

Aims:

The aim of the study was to adapt the SHINE course for virtual delivery.

Method:

We replaced live simulations for pre-recorded scenarios. We filmed these on the labour ward and our simulation room with members of our Neonatal Unit, instructing ‘candidates’ to act in specific ways which would bring out learning objectives. The videos were edited to optimize quality. We delivered the course via Zoom, playing the videos followed by a live debrief. The workshops remained the same. We increased participants to 12, split them into two break-out rooms. We ran the course twice during the peak of the pandemic. We evaluated self-rated confidence pre-attending and post-attending the course.

Results:

We ran the course with four members of faculty instead of eight required face-to-face. We encountered minor technical difficulties which were easily resolved. Twenty-four paediatric trainees of various grades attended. Candidates rated their confidence managing scenarios from 1 (very low) to 5 (very high). The average score before the course was 2.8 and improved to 3.9 after the course. 81% (22) candidates agreed/strongly agreed that the workshops were well structured and educational, 96% (23) agreed/strongly agreed that they had enough opportunities to interact and 81% (22) agreed/strongly agreed that the virtual environment worked well. All candidates agreed/strongly agreed that the video debrief sessions were well structured and educational and that the virtual learning environment was safe and supportive. All trainees would recommend the course to colleagues.

Implications for practice:

SHINE is a well-established sought-after course. We were able to continue this training virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic Whist we recognize that there is no replacement for hands-on experiential learning, we have demonstrated that virtual simulation is possible, effective, highly valued by trainees and has the advantage of being less resources intense and accessible to more candidates. We propose that virtual simulation training should be offered where face-to-face teaching is not possible.