Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2008
Role of simulators, educational programs, and nontechnical skills in anesthesia resident selection, education, and competency assessment.
Theoretical knowledge for anesthesia residents requires learning from a variety of sources. Technical skills are important and simulators are being used in many centers. ⋯ Training is evolving and higher standards in this field should create safer anesthesiologists. Simulator-based education and testing and assessment of nontechnical skills should be a priority in anesthesia residency programs.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2008
The simulation theater: a theoretical discussion of concepts and constructs that enhance learning.
The increasing role of simulation in medical education has paralleled the advancement of this technology. Full environment simulation (FES) can be used to effectively replicate rare medical catastrophes with exacting realism. ⋯ Theoretically, the addition of emotional content to simulated crises during FES can be used to affect emotional changes in the participants and thus facilitate learning. Here, we discuss the theoretical benefit and the use of FES with emotional enhancement as it relates to improved memory and learning.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2008
Improving communication in a pediatric intensive care unit using daily patient goal sheets.
The aim of the study was to determine if a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) daily patient goal sheet would improve communication between health care providers and decrease length of stay (LOS). ⋯ Using a PICU daily patient goal sheet can improve communication between health care providers, help nurses identify the in-charge physicians, and be helpful for patient care. By explicitly documenting patient care goals, there is enhanced clarity of patient care plans between health care providers.
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Although rarely thought of as simulations by anesthesia educators, the use of standardized patients to simulate clinical encounters spans 4 decades (Mt Sinai J Med. 1996;63:241-249; J Am Med Assoc. 1997;278:790-791; Int J Dermatol. 1999;38:893-894). Although its efficacy for education and evaluation in the medical community has been well established through extensive research, there is a distinct dearth in the literature in its use for anesthesia trainee education and evaluation. In this article, we discuss this simulation modality via a historic review, its current application in competency assessment, and its use in anesthesiology education and evaluation. We conclude with a "how to guide" to facilitate those considering including standardized patient simulations into their anesthesia training or simulation curriculum.