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Acute neurology simulation training
  1. Clare M Galtrey1,
  2. Jessica Styles1,
  3. Nicholas Gosling2,
  4. Niran Nirmalananthan1,
  5. Anthony C Pereira1
  1. 1 Department of Neurology, St George’s Hospital, London, UK
  2. 2 St George’s Advanced Patient Simulation Centre, St George’s University of London, London, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Clare M Galtrey, Department of Neurology, St George’s Hospital, London SW17 0QT, UK; claregaltrey{at}nhs.net

Abstract

Acute neurology is the neurological care that a patient receives in an emergency or urgent care situation. This can be adapted successfully to training in a simulation where learners are immersed in realistic scenarios in a safe, controlled and reproducible environment. In addition to teaching important technical skills that improve knowledge of the diagnosis and management of acute neurology, the simulation laboratory provides a valuable setting to improve human factors and non-technical skills, such as teamwork and leadership. Simulations are best conducted in a multiprofessional group with scenarios that allow different team members (nurses, physician associates, core medical and specialist trainees) to participate in their actual role. These training sessions require clear learning objectives, and involve designing the scenarios, running the session and ending with a structured debriefing to consolidate learning. The ultimate aim is to improve the team’s effectiveness to deliver safe acute neurological care in the emergency department and on the wards.

  • simulation
  • education
  • interprofessional

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Footnotes

  • Contributors CMG designed the scenarios, acted as faculty, drafted the manuscript, analysed the data and created the figures. NG implemented the scenarios and operated the simulation suite and edited the manuscript. JS and NN acted as faculty during simulation and edited the manuscript. ACP conceived the idea of acute neurology simulation, acted as faculty and edited the manuscript.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Disclaimer Dr David Nicholl from Birmingham, UK, has kindly provided some additional simulation scenarios that he has used and refined with his own trainees, and has made these freely available to Practical Neurology readers as supplementary files to this article.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Commissioned. Externally peer reviewed. This paper was reviewed by David Nicholl, Birmingham, UK, and Tom Warner, London, UK.

  • Data sharing statement All unpublished data are available from the corresponding author on request.