Background information
Critical thinking is one of most highly valued educational outcomes in the professional education of healthcare professionals. Educationalists tend to emphasize the importance of teaching future healthcare professionals how to think, rather than the need to improve the contents of curricula. This view stems from the fact that the nursing process is highly concerned with problem-solving and decision-making-related activity that requires acquisition and continuous improvement of related skills (Yilldrim, Ozkahraman &Karabudak, 2011, p.174) As nursing education is directly related to critical thinking theory, tparticularly the development of these skills is essential for curricula in nursing educational instituions (Yilldrim&Ozkahraman, 2011, p.176). It is nowadays widely recognized as an important tool in nursing education (Berragan, 2011, pp.660-663).
General literature
Simulation is one of the teaching methods that focus on teaching students to think and act in crisis situations. It allows multiple learning objectives to be reached in real-life clinical environment without harming. The realistic environment of the simulation plays a crucial role in its success, and exerts positive impact on the nurses’ ability to recognize and respond to clinical emergencies (Buckley&Gordon, 2011, p.729). One of most valuable outcomes of using simulation in the training of nurses and other healthcare workers is the development of clinical decision-making and teamwork skills (Volk, Ward, Irias, Navedo, Pollart, Weinstock, 2011, p.41).
The most important barriers to effective high fidelity simulation include the lack of benefits for the decision-makers, lack of enthusiasm and limited pool of resources (Turcato, Robertson, Covert, 2008, p.261). The effect of high fidelity simulation is reached through usage of detailed simulation scenarios and assessment guides (Montgomery College, 2014).
It is evident that the more experience the person has, the most successfully he/she deals with real-life tasks at the workplace. Simulations allow improving cognitive, technical and behavioral skills of nurses; increasing confidence in assuming the responsibility for full patient care and provide more concentrated learning experiences. Students, who have experienced high-fidelity simulation tend to show better results than the ones, who participated only in theoretical nursing courses (Lee&Hahn,2011,p.232-233). Simulation of nursing work in the disaster environment has also proved its effectiveness for promoting homeland security and health (Hassmiller&Stanley, n.d., p.518). The combination of high fidelity simulation-based training with clinical experience is currently considered to be most reasoned option for effective professional preparation of nurses (National Council of State Board of Nurses, 2009, p.20). Growing popularity of simulation-based education for healthcare workers requires paying more attention to ensuring safety of patients with respect to such training (Durham&Alden, n.d., p.27)
Specific literature
Simulation is especially important to develop the skills of professionals, whose daily work requires developed quick decision-making and teamwork skills. In some fields critical decision-making skills may mean life or death of healthcare workers’ patients. For instance, they are especially important for the field of emergency medicine, as it has been proved by emergency medicine specialists (Cato, Dawna, Murray, 2010, p.44). Another field to mention is cardiac surgery. The training, aimed at preparing nurses for the work in cardiac surgery, emphasize the development of such skills as attention to details, quick assessment of clinical situation, as well as critical thinking (Rauen 2004). Simulation-based training of critical care nurses in real-life environment (including the usage of sterile techniques) is of high value for preventing the spreading of infections and promoting patients’ safety during medical manipulations, such as central vein catheterization (Gerolomeu et al, 2014, p.48) (McReynolds, Mullan, Fitzdgerald, Kronick, Oh, Andreatta, 2013, p.12-13). A high-fidelity simulation with the usage of standardized patients has proved its effectiveness in the field of neonatal care (Hampson&Cantrell, 2014, p.1).
References
Berragan, L. (2011). Simulation: an effective pedagogical approach for nursing? Nurse Education Today, 31(7), pp.660-663
Buckley, T., Gordon, C. (2011) The effectiveness of high fidelity simulation on medical–surgical registered nurses' ability to recognise and respond to clinical emergencies. Nurse Education Today, 31(7), pp.716-721
Cato, D.,L., Dawna, L., Murray, M. (2010). Use of simulation training in intensive care unit. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly, 33(1), pp.44-51
Durham, C.F., Alden, K.R. (n.d.). Enhancing patient safety in nursing through patient simulation. Retrieved 23 February 2014 from http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/resources/nursing/resources/nurseshdbk/DurhamC_EPSNE.pdf
Gerolemou, L, Fidellaga, A., Rose, K., Cooper, S., Venturanza, M., Aqeel, A.Khouli, H. (2014). Simulation-based training for nurses in sterile techniques during central vein catheterization. American Journal of Critical Care23, pp.40-48
Hampson, S.J., Cantrell,S. (2014). Does the use of standardized patients in maternal-newborn simulation increase student confidence prior to entering the clinical setting? Retrieved 25 February 2014 from https://awhonn.confex.com/awhonn/2014/webprogram/Paper10635.html
Hassmiller, S., Stanley, S.A. (n.d.) Public health nursing and the disaster management cycle. Retrieved 23 February 2014 from http://www.elsevieradvantage.com/samplechapters/9780323241731/9780323080019.pdf
Montgomery college (n.d.). Nursing simulation scenario library. Retrieved 23 February 2014 from http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/nursingsims/
Lee, M.S., Hahn, S.W. (2011).Effect of simulation practice on clinical performance and problem-solving process for nursing students. The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education, 17(2), pp.226-234
McReynolds, M.C., Mullan, P.B., Fitzgerald, J.T., Kronick, M.D., Oh.,M., Andreatta, P. (2013). On-site simulation training improves nurses’ first-responder cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance: traveling simulation program. Annals of Behavioral Science and Medical Education, 19(1), pp.8-13
Rauen, C. (2004). Simulation as a Teaching Strategy for Nursing Education and Orientation in Cardiac Surgery. Retrieved 23 February 2014 from http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/content/24/3/46.full.pdf&embedded=true
Turcato, N., Robertson. K., Covert, K. (2008). Simulation-based education: what’s in it for nurse anesthesia educators? AAA Journal, 76(4), pp.257-262
Volk, M.S., Ward, J., Irias, N., Navedo, A., Pollart, J., Weinstock, P.H. (2011). Using medical simulation to teach crisis resource management and decision-making skills to otolaryngology housestaff. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 145 (1),pp.35-42
Yildrim, B, Ozkahraman, S., Karabudak, S.S. (2011). The critical thinking teaching methods in nursing students. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(24), pp.174-182 Yildrim, B, Ozkahraman, S.(2011). Critical thinking theory and nursing education. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(17), pp. 176-185
