GOUNA TECHNICAL NURSING INSTITUTE

Policy Number: 3.07.00

Category: Academic -Curriculum Policies

Policy Name: Simulation Lab Policy

Policy Proponent: Head of Nursing Department

Contact Officer: Simulation Lab Facilitator

1. Definitions

Debriefing: a reflective process immediately following the simulation-based experience that is led
by a trained facilitator using an evidence-based debriefing model.

Facilitator: a trained faculty member who provides guidance, support, and structure during some
or all stages of simulation-based learning including pre-briefing, simulation, and/or debriefing

Nursing Simulation lab: an attempt to create realistic health care situations by utilizing a risk-free
environment and essential aspects of clinical situations, whereby student can apply skills, critical
thinking, reasoning, and fundamentals.

Pre-briefing: are activities planned prior to simulation in order to prepare students for the
simulation experience

Professional integrity: refers to the ethical behaviors and conduct that are expected of all
involved throughout simulation-based experiences.

2. The purpose
Nursing simulation lab experience is primarily used as a teaching strategy within the GTNI,
however, it can also be used as an evaluation tool. The policy aims to provide basic principles for
using the simulation lab to ensure that simulation lab experiences mimic the reality of a clinical non-
threating environment and are designed to demonstrate procedures, decision-making, and critical
thinking through role playing and the use of devices such as mannequins.

3. Scope
The Nursing Simulation Lab experience applies to nursing faculty, clinical instructors, simulation lab
facilitator(s), GTNI students, and standardized patients. It applies to the equipment and mannequins
that

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are used to facilitate student learning and manage various patient conditions and nursing
procedures. The simulation labs are conducted in nursing skills labs at GTNI.

4. Policy statement
It is the goal of GTNI to ensure students are provided with all the needed educational experiences
to achieve the end-of program students learning outcomes. This policy aims at ensuring that GTNI
nursing faculty work on enhancing the student clinical experiences offering realistic, applicable,
practice learning environment to strengthen clinical decision-making skills, emphasize current
evidence-based practice; provide reflective debriefing opportunities; and reinforce classroom
learning.

5. Policy items
5.1. Simulation Standards
Simulations must meet the criteria outlined in each of the International Nursing Association
for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) standards including:

Simulation Design, Outcomes and Objectives, Facilitation, The Debriefing, Participant

Assessment and Evaluation, Professional Integrity of Participants, Simulation-enhanced
interprofessional education, Simulation operation, and Simulation terminology.

5.2. Simulation Design

5.2.1. Coordinators should schedule all nursing simulation lab experiences at the beginning
of the academic semester and include it in the course syllabus. Nursing Simulation Lab
Experience topics and scenarios must be approved in curriculum committee meetings.
The topics should be aligned with student learning outcomes or covering the theory,
clinical gap and national or international issues.
5.2.2. All simulation-based experiences should begin with the development of measurable
objectives designed to achieve expected outcomes based on the student learning
objectives and the recommendations of students, faculty and reports from the previous
semester.
5.2.3. Faculty member(s) responsible to develop scenarios should use the approved GTNI
scenario template and pre and debriefing structure. There should be a mock of all
simulation-based experiences before full implementation. (see Simulation Design
template_Attachment1).

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5.3. Simulation Implementation

5.3.1. Faculty preparation and implementation

Faculty members conducting simulation must be trained to best practice

standards for simulation which include, but not limited to INACSL Standards of
Best Practice Simulation available on:

https://www.nursingsimulation.org/issue/S1876-1399(16)X0014-X?code=ecsn-
site.

5.3.2. Simulation operation

5.3.2.1. All new faculty should receive orientation to the sim lab and equipment within the
first month of employment
5.3.2.2. Technology: If faculty are unsure how to use the technology (monitors, debriefing
videos, etc.) for the simulation lab, it is expected that they seek assistance from the
simulation lab facilitator or users with expertise from the beginning of the semester.
5.3.2.3. Equipment: For simulation lab equipment storage, maintenance and borrowing,
faculty should refer to (guidelines for clinical lab and simulation lab equipment
storage, maintenance and borrowing.)
5.3.2.4. All simulations such have a mock before implementing with the students during
course preparation

5.3.3. Simulation-enhanced interprofessional education

Faculty should ensure that each simulation is conducted based on theory, follows
best practices in simulation, address institutional and national or international issues.

5.3.3.1. Pre-briefing

▪ 15-30 minutes should be allocated for a pre-briefing before the commencement

of the simulation
▪ Students should be provided with an opportunity of an orientation to simulation
setting, manikin, roles, and specifics of the scenario.
▪ Students should be informed of the simulations’ learning outcomes.
▪ Issues related to the planned simulation experience should be discussed and
clarified.
▪ Student roles should be distributed before running the simulation scenario.

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5.3.3.2. During Simulation

▪ Participants directly involved in the simulation scenario should be limited to
maximum 5 members and the rest of students should be critically observers.
▪ 15-30 minutes should be allowed for running the scenario and at least 30-60
minutes for reflection/debriefing.
▪ Faculty should ensure that the faculty to student ratio in the simulation lab is no
more than 1 to10.

5.3.3.3. The Debriefing

The debriefing should be based on a theoretical framework and simulation objectives for
debriefing that is structured in a purposeful way (see Debriefing Template_Attachment 2).

5.3.4. Fidelity GTNI categorizes fidelity level according to the physical equipment that can
be used in simulated experiences including:
5.3.4.1. Low fidelity simulators: static models or task trainers primarily made of rubber
body parts as basic patient care manikin.
5.3.4.2. Medium-fidelity simulators: full-body manikins that have embedded software and
can be controlled by an external handheld device, like code blue mannikin.
5.3.4.3. Hybrid simulators: combine two or more fidelity levels of simulation.
5.3.4.4. Standardized patient: is a person trained as an individual in a scripted scenario
for the purposes of instruction, practice, or evaluation.

5.4. Participant Preparation, Assessment and Evaluation

5.4.1. Faculty should make students aware of simulation experience requirements and if they
will be evaluated/assessed on certain skills/knowledge/competencies/etc.
5.4.2. Faculty are expected to send student preparation sheet at least 2 working days before
the simulation experience (see Preparation sheet Attachment_3)
5.4.3. Faculty are expected to conduct pre-test and post-test for simulation labs on Moodle.
The tests’ questions should cover the theoretical knowledge of the simulation lab
based on the student learning objectives and content from 10 questions.

5.4.4. Before attending the lab, all students must meet the lab preparation requirements
including:
• Completing the assigned readings and all self-tutorial assignments (read checklist and
associated learning material/s / watched relevant skills video/s)
• Answering the preparation sheet questions. (Preparation Sheet Attachment 3)
• Taking the pretest (online quiz)

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5.4.5. If the student fails to meet the lab preparation requirements, he/she will be considered
absent based on GTNI attendance policy, but he/she is still expected to attend the lab
session.
5.4.6. Students must pass the post-test by 70%. If a student fails the post-test, they will be
referred for remediation and issued with an oral warning (Clinical lab referral form
Attachment 4). The student will have the opportunity to re-sit the post-test at a specified
time. If the student fails again to pass the post-test with 70%, he/she will be issued an
academic clinical warning. The student has the opportunity to remediate two times. For
each time the student fails a remediation attempt, they will be issued with an academic
clinical waring.
5.4.7. It is the responsibility of the Coordinator to specify the time of the remediation attempt/s.
5.4.8. The student performance during the simulation experience should be assessed
through the clinical reflective journal/clinical evaluation tool. If a student fails in the
post-test, they should receive an ‘unmet’ for CO#7 Clinical Reasoning clinical reflective
journal/clinical evaluation tool.
5.5. Professional Integrity of Participants
5.5.1. Simulation-based experiences should ensure a high level of professional integrity,
including insuring confidentiality of students, acting as a role model using best practice,
and always maintaining a safe learning environment.
5.5.2. Students must always act in a professional manner while in simulation, pre-briefing,
monitoring, debriefing, or playback.
5.5.3. Students are expected to comply with the uniform policy provided in the student
handbook. (See: uniform policy)
5.5.4. All simulated clinical experiences are evaluated by the learner using students’ evaluation
of the simulation experience tool, this evaluation is used for quality improvement and
curricular changes as needed.

5.6. Simulation terminology

All faculty involved in simulation-based experiences should use standardized terminology
as per INACSL Standards to enhance understanding and communication among planners,
participants, and others involved in simulation-based experiences.

6. Confidentiality

6.1. The nursing simulation lab should be video recorded by one of the institute-owned
cameras and not by any personal recording devises.

6.2. Faculty must inform the students that they are always being video recorded.

6.3. Faculty must obtain written consent from all students participating in simulation video if
the simulation experience video is to be used outside of current class (i.e. external
presentation, facilitation examples).

6.4. The faculty should keep the confidentiality of the performances, scenario content, and
participant experience during and after any simulation. Confidentiality is expected in
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live, recorded, or virtual simulation experiences.

7. Documentation and video recording keeping

7.1. Video records should be deleted immediately after simulation except for the best
performance video which shall be archived in the shared folder for the course
under a separate folder named (Simulation Video Recordings) and should only
be accessible to relevant members.
7.2. Materials (scenarios, cases, checklists, etc.) for standardized patient encounters
and/or advanced patient simulations shall be stored on the shared folder as long as the
materials are administratively useful.

8. Responsibility
8.1. Head of Nursing Department
8.1.1. Revise and confirm topics for simulation lab experiences at the
beginning of each semester and send to the Curriculum Committee
before the beginning of each semester for approval.
8.1.2. Revise recommendations for improvement for simulation lab experiences
and send to Curriculum Committee for discussion as appropriate.
8.1.3. Revise request for simulation lab equipment purchases and confirm
request in Nursing Departmental meeting and send to Financial and
Administrative Department for approval.
8.1.4. Monitor compliance with this policy.
8.2. Coordinator
8.2.1. Determine each semester who will be the allocated as the Simulation Lab
Facilitator.
8.2.2. Follow up pre and post-test reports.
8.2.3. Ensure topics chosen for simulation lab experiences are based on
course student learning outcomes and clinical/course gaps.
8.2.4. Confirm the topics for simulation lab experience at the beginning of each
semester in consultation with the Head of Nursing Department.
8.2.5. Disseminate topics for scenario development to the relevant
Simulation Lab Facilitator once approved by the Curriculum
Committee.
8.2.6. Schedule simulation labs in the course syllabus as required.
8.2.7. Revise and confirm all simulation lab material with Simulation Lab
Facilitator before the beginning of the semester.
8.2.8. Revise and confirm student prep students for simulation lab
experiences before distribution.
8.2.9. Ensure adequate supervision of implementation of simulation lab
experiences throughout the semester to ensure experiences are
delivered in accordance with INACSL best practice standards.
8.2.10. Inform the Quality Assurance Unit of appropriate dates/allocated
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instructors for simulation lab student evaluation purposes before the
beginning of each semester based on the simulation lab schedule.
8.2.11. Reviews and confirms simulation lab report at the end of each semester
and includes in Annual Course report.
8.2.12. Evaluates the implementation of the simulation lab experiences based on
student survey evaluation results and makes recommendations for
improvement in the Annual Course report and sends recommendations
for improvement to the Head of Nursing Department as appropriate.
8.2.13. Makes recommendations for simulation lab equipment purchases based
on course needs in consultation with the Head of Nursing Department.

8.3. Simulation Lab Facilitator

8.3.1. Develop simulation scenarios based on confirmed simulation topics and
send to Coordinator for revision and confirmation before the beginning of
the semester.
8.3.2. Operate simulation manikins, equipment and technology in the
simulation lab appropriately and liaise with eLearning and ICT as
required.
8.3.3. Request and maintain all simulation training equipment and supplies.
8.3.4. Conduct mock simulation lab experiences with all relevant instructors
before implementation.
8.3.5. Prepare the reports at the end of each simulation lab and send to cohort
coordinator
8.3.6. Provide simulation training for new faculty members and updates for
faculty as required.
8.3.7. Maintain safe practices and abide by all approved policies and
procedures for the clinical lab areas.
8.3.8. Request for routine maintenance and repair for all simulation lab
equipment, including manikins, as required to ensure all equipment is
maintained in good working order.
8.3.9. Prepare student prep sheets and distribute two days in advance before
each simulation lab experience after revision from relevant Coordinator.
8.3.10. Implement simulation lab experiences in accordance with
INACSL best practice standards.
8.3.11. Completes simulation lab report for annual course report and submits to
Coordinator for review at the end of each semester.
8.4. Curriculum Committee
8.4.1. Confirms topics for simulation lab experiences for each course before the
beginning of each semester based on course student learning outcomes
and clinical/course gaps.
8.4.2. Discusses recommendations for improvement for simulation lab
experiences and creates action points for improvement as
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appropriate.
8.5. Nursing Departmental Meeting
8.5.1. Confirm requests for simulation lab equipment purchases.
8.6. Students
8.6.1. Arrive on time for simulation lab experiences.
8.6.2. Prepare for simulation lab experiences as per student prep sheet.
8.6.3. Abide by all approved policies and procedures for the clinical lab areas,
including GTNI uniform policy.

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Related Documents
Related Legislation,
Regulations, Policies,
Procedures and Guidelines
Approval Authority:
Governing Authority:
Policy Proponent
Policy Delegate
Contact Person
Date:
Simulation Lab Policy/ Curriculum Policies/01-04-2019/ Revised 23-03-2020- /17-02-2021
3.07.00.TEMP1Simulation Design
3.07.00.TEMP2 Debriefing Template
3.06.00.TEMP2 Preparation Sheet
1. Clinical lab policy
2. Uniform policy
3. Code blue guideline.pdf
4. Procedure: Simulation and clinical lab assets and
consumables inventory and ordering
5. Guideline for Lab equipment Storage, Borrowing, and
Maintenance
5. Academic warning policy
6. Guidelines for clinical lab safety
Faculty organization
Curriculum committee
Head of Nursing Department
Simulation Lab facilitator
Simulation Lab Facilitator
Date of Submission: 21-01-2019
Date of Endorsement: 07-02-2019-
27-04-2020
Date of Approval: 21-02-2019-
17-02-2021
Date of Commencement: 01-04-2019
Date of Last Review: 23-03-2020
Date of Upcoming Review: 17-02-2024
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