Simulation and Skills

About the Sheila Scott building

The Sheila Scott Building is a dedicated simulation and skills suite where students can acquire and practice clinical skills in a safe environment. Students learn in groups to develop their professional identity and expertise. There are also opportunities for inter-professional learning, enhancing mutual understanding to improve patient safety and quality of care. 

Equipment 

The equipment used in simulation and skills teaching replicates that found in the clinical environment. However, as staff and students at the University of Worcester work with a wide range of different practice partners, it is not possible to guarantee that it will be the same equipment found in the clinical placement areas.

In simulation and skills sessions, students are taught the core principles that apply to specific procedures. The practice partner then develops that learning by ensuring that students receive training specific to equipment and situations in their placement area.

Experiencing a combination of simulated and actual clinical interventions, in a variety of settings, equips the student with the broad skills background essential for practice.

Content and teaching

The skills and practice elements that are taught are drawn from the NMC (2018) Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses, Annexe A & B, and the Pre-registration Midwifery Standards (2009) and are based upon the best available evidence and national guidelines.

Teaching is supported by University Lecturers, who are also are also practice supervisors, and utilises experienced practitioners to support session delivery.

Simulation and skills teaching can range from simple instructional lessons, such as injection technique, to more complex simulation involving sophisticated manikins with computerised physiology. Simulations identify and manage commonly faced clinical conditions such as Myocardial Infarction, Anaphylaxis and Sepsis.

The importance of simulation and skills

Simulation of practice is a vital learning tool that provides learners with an opportunity to develop their roles, solve problems, increase decision making skills and enhance teamwork.

Simulation and skills teaching enables the student to bridge the theory practice gap resulting in clinicians able to deliver clinical interventions safely and efficiently.