Simulation Training
The Department of Anesthesiology has a robust simulation training program to familiarize incoming anesthesiology residents with the operating room environment, care of an anesthetized patient and basic critical event management. Incoming first-year clinical anesthesiology (CA-1) residents will be instructed in a variety of perioperative critical events important for transition from 1:1 to 2:1 supervision. With the help of a faculty mentor, all residents complete a simulation scenario for the Thursday morning conference.
Simulation Tactical Training (STAT) Curriculum
Training is led by resident and faculty pairs and held weekly on Thursdays from 6-6:30 a.m. All residents are assigned to Feinberg and Prentice ORs. Short seven-to-10-minute scenarios are followed by a structured debriefing.
Scenarios cover a broad range of pre-, intra- and post-operative situations but revolve around core themes, including rare and/or critical events, team dynamics (conflict, leadership and supervision), considering and prioritizing competing goals of management, ethical challenges and empathy.
Goals of the training are to:
- Learn about using simulation-based education by experience in designing, deploying and debriefing a scenario
- Practice real-time management skills
- Exercise strategic implementation of primary and alternate plans
- Avoid fixation error
- Develop a comprehensive picture and maintain flexibility in the face of dynamic clinical conditions
- Appropriately call for and manage help
- Function effectively in the role of a helper
Topics include transfusion medicine, wrong-site surgery, trauma in a Jehovah’s Witness patient, airway management in an off-site location, seratonin syndrome in a chronic pain patient, local anesthetic toxicity, withdrawal of care in an ICU patient, delirium in the PACU, medication errors and interacting with family members during post-partum hemorrhage.
New Resident Simulator Training
Residents obtain training in skills for managing acute clinical events to which residents have limited exposure during the first month but that are critical for successful semi-independent (1:2 coverage) practice. Residents are trained in groups of five to six on selected afternoons following noon lecture. Each session incorporates practice in a single event utilizing a simulated scenario followed by structured debriefings in the simulation center. Residents will develop strategic thinking, task processing/prioritization and skills in approaching and initial management of acute intraoperative events.