Developing emotional preparedness and mental resilience through high-fidelity simulation: A 'Bridge Too Far' for institutions teaching major trauma management and mass casualty medicine?

Newton, Jon

Abstract

Background: Clinical acumen represents only part of being adequately equipped to attend a major incident. The emotive sights, sounds and smells of these dynamic environments are all-encompassing experiences, and responders must also be armed with the emotional preparedness to perform their clinical or managerial duties effectively, as well as the mental resilience to facilitate professional continuance. Despite this, limited training and a sparsity of evidence exists to guide developments within this domain. Historically, major incident training has focused on clinical theory acquisition, but irrespective of how comprehensive the learning materials are, it is of little consequence if tandem steps to cultivate mental resilience and emotional preparedness are absent. High-Fidelity Simulation (HFS) has a growing reputation as an effective means of bridging important gaps between theory and practice; and to help identify if HFS could cultivate these advancements, we exposed students to a large-scale HFS and conducted an evaluation-based study to better understand their experience. The primary aim was to ascertain the impact on clinical acumen, mental resilience and emotional preparedness.

Methods: Quantitative data was obtained from a sample of 108 students undertaking paramedic science, physician associate studies and adult nursing programmes. Self-completed questionnaires incorporating a 7-point Likert scale were utilised; and each student’s strength of agreement was rated against a series of statements surrounding clinical acumen, mental resilience, and emotional preparedness.

Results: 91% of students agreed the combination of theoretical training and HFS provided made them feel clinically prepared to attend a real major incident; 86% agreed this experience had developed their mental resilience and 90% agreed that they felt emotionally prepared to attend a major incident.

Conclusion: HFS is effective in developing clinical acumen, mental resilience and emotional preparedness in learners training to work in disaster environments or emergency medicine settings.

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: ASPiH 2023 Sustainable Simulation
• Start Date: Nov 6, 2023
• End Date: Nov 8, 2023
• Deposit Date: Nov 9, 2023
• Keywords: Emotional Preparedness, Mental Resilience, Paramedic, Nurse, Physician Associate, Major Incident
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11419584