In September 2020, David B Clarke, Alena I Galilee, Nelofar Kureshi, Murray Hong, Lynne Fenerty, Ryan C N D’Arcy had their study published Knowledge transfer and retention of simulation-based learning for neurosurgical instruments: a randomised trial of perioperative nurses.
Dr. David B Clarke and Dr. Ryan D’Arcy (our early advisors) are no strangers to healthcare simulation. In fact they were part of the clinical and research team that validated the Neurosurgery Simulator that was licensed to CAE Healthcare and launched as NeuroVR in 2016. The simulator was developed by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) in collaboration with clinicians from teaching hospitals in Canada, the U.S., Europe and Asia, the simulator is currently in use at 15 sites and has been validated in published clinical studies.
In this new study, which used PeriopSim as the delivery tool to perioperative nurses, the results speak for themselves, 93 nurses participated in the study and “Group A that received tablet-based simulation, were 23% quicker in identifying real instruments and did so with better accuracy 93.2% vs 80.6% than group B. Furthermore, the simulation-based learning was retained at 7 days with 97.8% correct instrument recognition in Group A and 96.2% in Group B while maintaining speed and accuracy. “
The study concluded that “the results demonstrate that instrument knowledge acquired through tablet-based simulation training results in improved identification and retained recognition of real instruments”
One of the number one questions the Conquer team gets is what do the users or learners think of this method of learning. The study documented the participants feedback: “The results of a postevaluation survey demonstrated that 78% rated PeriopSim as ‘extremely easy to use’ while 21% considered it ‘very easy to use’. In addition, 98% of participants indicated that it was ‘extremely likely’ or ‘very likely’ that they would like to use such platforms again in the future. All participants rated PeriopSim interface as ‘very good’ (94%, the highest rating) or ‘good’ (6%).”
When reading the study one of the sections we like the most are the concluding highlights.
What is already known on this subject
- Rapid technological advances in the last 20 years have led to the exponential adoption of simulation in nursing education.
- There is a paucity of evidence that neurosurgical knowledge and skills acquired through simulation training are retained over time and transferable to real-world tasks.
What this study adds
- Our findings suggest that instrument learning acquired through simulation training is transferred to knowledge of real surgical instruments, thus presenting a compelling model for surgical skills training.
- The results have implications for simulation-based surgical instrument training for nurses, nursing students and other clinical staff.
