ABSTRACT
Simulation is the reproduction of all or some aspect of a job or task. Simulation also enables practices to be observed and training needs to be identified in a realistic workplace environment without compromising patient care. Simulation can be used to rehearse management of common events or those events that clinicians rarely see in their professional clinical lifetimes but which require prompt and effective treatment and which can be lifesaving. The apprenticeship model of ‘learning on the job’ is no longer fit for purpose with the need to provide more intensive, focused training that simulation can provide—enabling practitioners to be better prepared for the realities of their practice. In healthcare, patients now expect that they will be cared for by a practitioner who has already received an appropriate level of training and experience. Practitioners also expect to be prepared to deliver high-quality, consistent care in environments where healthcare delivery is not the primary role, such as residential homes.
