Review : Use of Simulation-Based Training to Aid in Implementing Complex Health Technology

Abstract

Clinicians are adult learners in a complex environment that historically does not invest in training in a way that is conducive to these types of learners. Adult learners are independent, self-directed, and goal oriented. In today's fast-paced clinical setting, a practical need exists for nurses and clinicians to master the technology they use on a daily basis, especially as medical devices have become more interconnected and complex. As hospitals look to embrace new technologies, medical device companies must provide clinical end-user training. This should be a required part of the selection process when considering the purchase of any complex medical technology. However, training busy clinicians in a traditional classroom setting can be difficult and costly. A simple, less expensive solution is online simulation training. This interactive training provides a virtual, "hands-on" end-user experience in advance of implementing new equipment. Online simulation training ensures knowledge retention and comprehension and, most importantly, that the training leads to end-user satisfaction and the ability to confidently operate new equipment. A review of the literature revealed that online simulation, coupled with the use of adult learning principles and experiential learning, may enhance the experience of clinical end users.

Extended Reality Is Underutilized in Medical Device Training: A Descriptive Literature Review

“…It was concluded that online simulation training provides a virtual hands-on experience in advance of implementing new equipment and coupled with adult learning principles, may enhance the experience of clinical end users of technology. Especially in home environment, augmented technology will add skills to manage safety hazards [6].…”

Professional satisfaction of health professional undergraduates and influencing factors in Hebei province, China

“…Advanced teaching equipment was an essential tool for training students who would become medical personnel in the future [ 54 ]. Modern technologies such as multimedia, teaching simulation facilities, and virtual simulation facilities provided students with a virtual “hands-on” experience [ 55 , 56 ], which would stimulate their professional interest and improve their professional satisfaction. Second, the number of study rooms was positively related to student satisfaction [ 57 ].…”

Roundtable Discussion : Gaining Proficiency in the Use of Complex Health Technology Requires a Multifaceted Training Approach

“…First, we need to think about initial training that is standard across the board, then it's a matter of leveraging your internal resources to adapt competencies to fit the workflow for each department in addition to the standard rollouts, while considering adult-learning principles. 2 Those principles involve being able to see, hear, and touch the device, as well as the ability for end users to demonstrate that they actually understand what they're seeing, hearing, and touching and can incorporate the new device and workflow into their practice effectively.…”