News & stories - Simulation program
Read the latest news from the Simulation program
Perioperative Team - OR Simulation Sessions
08 July 2024
The perioperative team had their first fully funded and regular simulation session embedded into the OR slate. It was a huge success. Please contact the PHC Translational Simulation Team if you’d like to arrange something like this in your clinical area.
Simulation with the PHC Nephrology Staff
26 June 2024
On June 25, PHC Simulation Team was happy to be able to support the SPH Renal Team run a great simulation. Using our high fidelity mannikin, we were able to simulate a Code Blue scenario in a patient about to undergo hemodialysis. We hope to be able to support any other PHC patient care teams wishing to practice clinical scenarios.
Simulation Facilitator Development Course
Front row (L to R): Moses Li, Ron Shiu, Dennis Cortez, Kim Cockburn, Clara Vuong, Susan Bello, Chandell Kelly, Terry Wong. Back row: Kamal Preet, Hannah Fisher, Martina O’Regan, Manny Singh, Aisha Aquilario, Krista Sferrazza
10 June 2024
The first cohort of educators who completed the Simulation Facilitator Development course offered by VCH Simulation Educators (Kim Cockburn and Krista Sferrazza from VGH) on June 6 and 7, 2024.
Let’s get ready to simulate!
Emergency Does Mock Code Pink!
04 June 2024
Read the key points by Reed Morrison.
Reed has also created an educational video for the ER stabilette and initial receival of a newborn in ER.
Simulation Debriefing Course - June 11, 2024
27 May 2024
*Deadline extended to June 9, 2024 and will only be held on-line. At this time, no in-person session will be held.
April 2024 Newsletter
03 May 2024
Read the April newsletter
Quality Improvement Challenge
17 April 2024
As part of our continuous learning, Simulation Manager Riley Louie and Project Support Coordinator Malavika Menon took part in the Quality Improvement (QI) Challenge from September 2023 to April 2024, in hopes to better the utilization data collected for both attendance and feedback by 50% by April 2024. On April 17, 2024, Malavika and Riley presented their findings with the rest of the QI cohort, mentors and leaders.
Using certain QI tools such as the 5 whys, driver diagram, fish bone diagram, and process mapping, they were able to dig deeper at the problem at hand and further explore change ideas and ways to implement them. Since implementing the change ideas on December 4th 2023, there was a 150% increase in the attendance rate, 66.65% increase in facilitator feedback rate, and 27.1% increase in participant feedback rate.
We acknowledge that these efforts are a two-way street and would especially like to thank all the facilitators for their efforts and inputs to help us achieve our goal. Though the QI challenge had an end date, we hope that our data collection initiatives will continue and be ongoing.
January 2024 Newsletter
18 January 2024
Read the January newsletter
Product Demonstration by CAE Healthcare
21 November 2023
Providence Health Care had a product demonstration by CAE Healthcare, wherein the company demonstrated the use of an Ultrasound Simulator.
For more information on the simulator, click here.
Funding for Physician Participation in Simulation
23 October 2023
In alignment with VCH goals of health system redesign, our Providence Health Care Translational Simulation Program has been granted funding to promote physician engagement in simulation. This funding is available to any Providence physicians taking time away from their usual work to participate in or lead (designing, facilitating, evaluating) simulations.
Goals of VCH health system redesign funding
- Improve primary and community care,
- Reduce waitlists and expand capacity for surgical services,
- Improve information management,
- Recruitment and training,
- Promote positive organizational culture.
Who is eligible?
- PHC physicians who are facilitating and/or participating in simulation sessions, who are not being remunerated for that time in some other way.*
How to apply
- The funding is based on an hourly rate, and it is available till March 2025.
- Physicians will need to complete the “One-time physician information” form to set up your details with the Simulation Program (including direct deposit through VCH) using this link.
- Physician attendance at simulations will need to be logged and submitted on the “Physician Sign-in Sheet” and submitted to Malavika Menon after the sessions are complete.
- To learn more on how to book a simulation (simulator/lab), please use this link.
For more information on conducting or attending simulations, please contact Dr. Shannon Lockhart and/or Dr. Jeanne MacLeod.
For more information on the funding procedure, please contact Malavika Menon with the following details:
- The date you attended the simulation
- Who was your facilitator
- Your MSP number
- Vendor ID information
Resources such as the direct deposit form can be found in the Tools + Education page.
PHYSICIAN PARTICIPATION IN SIMULATION – FUNDING FOR COURSES
There is opportunity to apply this funding to support physicians in the development of their ability to utilize simulation for health system improvement and redesign. For more information and to submit an application for funding, click here.
* The stipulation for this provincial funding program is to reimburse fully licensed physicians (family physicians, specialists) who are generally fee-for-service, to compensate for their time outside of direct care. A physician with a full-time salaried role would not be eligible for sessional reimbursement. As well, medical residents are not eligible for reimbursement.
BC Simulation Network - Clinical Simulation Conference Information
Case for Support - Translational Simulation Program
05 June 2023
The St. Paul’s Foundation team has put together a case for support for our active donors. Click here to learn more.
Critical Care Education Days
05 June 2023
On April 27 and May 8, 2023, the CSICU staff participated in a 2 hour simulation session as part of an education day. The participants included CSICU RNs, perfusion staff and anesthesia staff. Click here to see what they experienced.
SimMan 3G Maintenance Training
05 May 2023
John Bonilla, our Simulation Technical Coordinator was sent to Wappinger Falls, NY in April 2023 to attend Laerdal’s 3-day workshop called ‘Advanced Care and Maintenance Course’ for SimMan 3G. The workshop was taught by Laerdal’s Field Service Engineers and had up to 6 participants. Upon completion, John was awarded the ‘SimMan 3G Advanced Care and Maintenance Course Certificate’ that is valid for 2 years. With this certification, John can perform various maintenance and care functions to ensure the upkeep of the SimMan 3G.
ICU Code Blue Fun Days!
09 November 2022
Our Intensivist lead for residents runs simulations twice a month with the full team consisting of RNs, RTs and MDs. We run through all the ACLS algorithms, the most challenging scenarios are when the patients have a pulse! Scenarios evolve depending on the decisions made by the Code Team Leader.
Once every 3 months, we onboard nursing staff to the Code Blue Team using simulation. This is where mistakes are made but SimMan (I’ve named him Chad) always survives.
Testimonials: “Thank you for the experience!” “I had forgotten that, it was nice to review it.”
PHC Simulation Featured in Health Innovation Series
19 October 2022
On October 12, a fundraising event was held by the St. Paul’s Foundation. Called the Health Innovation Series, it was a fantastic opportunity to showcase PHC’s current simulation activities to donors and to hopefully inspire longer term donors to continue to support PHC Simulation.
Thanks to the representatives from Laerdal for coming and setting up the mannequins.
The mannequin featured in this photo is the latest Sim Man 3G model that should be arriving to PHC in late December.
Introducing a New Team Member
7 October 2022
We are happy to announce Malavika Menon has accepted the position of PHC professional practice and simulation.
Her start date will be October 24, 2022. She can be contacted at: mmenon3@providencehealth.bc.ca
From Mannequin to Metaverse: Advancing Experiential Health Care Training
28 September 2022
At the beginning of the pandemic, Providence Health Care’s (PHC) clinicians at St. Paul’s
Hospital faced a growing problem. Patients were arriving daily with severe breathing difficulties, many needing breathing assistance from a procedure to insert a tube into the throat, called intubation.
Adding to the complexity, many of the patients were frail and infectious with COVID-19. Soon, the trained clinicians couldn’t keep pace with the demand for this life-saving procedure. They turned to medical simulation, using a “smart” mannequin to train additional health providers to become expert at the skill — learning in full personal protective equipment.
A protracted emergency like COVID-19, laid bare the need for expanded capacity and options for experiential training across the health care system. This became evident in central hubs like Vancouver, but also exposed the critical need to create remote experiential learning opportunities, particularly for under-served areas such as rural towns and villages and Indigenous communities.
Read From Mannequin to Metaverse: Advancing experiential health care training to learn more about the opportunities for immersive training – and beyond.
Simulation Team Visits Nurses at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital's High Acuity Unit & Emergency Department
Simulation Working Group
28 July 2022
The Simulation Resources Team meets once every two months with staff including physicians, nurses, therapists, and educators to provide updates and have discussions regarding the status of the program, any new purchases, updates to the transition to New St. Paul’s Hospital, and more.
If you are interested in joining our Working Group, please email Malavika at mmenon3@providencehealth.bc.ca.