Poster Topic: Education

Background/rationale
• Promoting opportunities for application of theoretical content is often difficult in the traditional lecture-based classroom. One inherent problem is that the classroom lacks the contextual environment where active and experiential learning can take place and where prioritization and critical thinking skills can be fostered. To address this issue, faculty endeavoured to design a pedagogical experience whereby students could gain hands-on and in the moment practice with lecture content without having to leave the classroom setting.

Objective
• To explore the use of simulation in the classroom as an effective pedagogical tool to actively engage students with lecture content and promote critical thinking and application of learned concepts.

Description of the Innovation
• Students in their pediatric rotation received a 1.5 hour didactic lecture on care of the child in shock. This was followed by a 45 minute simulation session at the front of the classroom where students applied this content while caring for a 6 month old simulated patient in septic shock. There were two nursing roles and two family roles in the simulation and two facilitators used a start-stop method whereby students in nursing roles could pause and ask their peers in the larger class (n= 60) what to do next. After the simulation, facilitators led the whole class in a large group debrief to reflect on lessons learned in respect to; care of a pediatric client in shock, providing child and family centered care in the midst of
an adverse event, and how to seek help and communicate effectively in an unfavourable clinical situation.

Impact
• This initiative was extremely well received by students, with many requesting to participate in a classroom simulation weekly. Although labour intensive and not feasible in all classroom settings, this initiative was a very effective way to actively engage students with lecture content and promote application of learned material and critical thinking in the classroom setting.