The Becoming Simulation Faculty (BSF) programme supports the development of simulation educators, practitioners, technicians, and managers across the NHS. It offers blended learning with eLearning topics and workshops, providing foundational skills and advancing professional development. Would you like to enrol? Then read the article to learn how you can register for the programme.
In collaboration with:
Bryn Baxendale
Caroline Cocking
Mark Fores
Patricia Howe
Gabriel Reedy
Background
The Technology Enhanced Learning Programme within NHS England (NHSE TEL) has a number of goals, which relate to promoting the development and adoption of emerging and innovative approaches to education in health and care. Our strategic vision for the use of simulation and immersive learning technologies (REF) described how simulation can support workforce development and safety improvement in clinical practice. One of the key principles of this to be successful requires a multi professional faculty who have the appropriate capabilities and recognition. Increasingly this includes educators, practitioners, technicians and managers.
NHSE TEL were aware of the success of the NHETSim programme in Australia (REF) and initial engagement with the simulation community across the UK suggested that a similar programme would be welcomed for the NHS health and care system.
Vision
The Becoming Simulation Faculty (BSF) programme was initiated to address a number of challenges identified by NHSE TEL and the simulation community. The programme has the following aims:
- To establish and implement an expert-led, sustainable national programme to support the professional development of simulation educators, practitioners, technicians and managers from educational and care provider organisations
- To ensure equitable access across professional, geographical and institutional boundaries
- To enhance the quality of design, delivery and evaluation of simulation and immersive learning methodologies applied within the health & care sector
What is the Becoming Simulation Faculty Programme?
The BSF programme is the first phase of this work and is intended to meet the learning needs of new or novice simulation faculty.
It offers a blended learning approach consisting of 6 eLearning topics and a face to face workshop.
Course content has been authored and reviewed by multi-professional colleagues drawn from the UK simulation community. The Workshop has been co-designed with representatives from regional simulation networks and will offer an experiential learning opportunity to extend and consolidate core knowledge and focus on some key skills and behaviours that are important for new simulation faculty to discuss or rehearse together.
By completing the programme, participants will have a nationally recognised foundational/fundamental skill set that they can continue to develop throughout their career. The intention is to provide further advanced topics that will support this professional development pathway according to individual requirements and local practices.
These are:
| Advanced debriefing | Teamwork and clinical leadership capabilities | Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), including neurodiversity | Immersive learning technologies |
| Evaluation and Research | Mental health and welfare | Mixed reality technologies | Developing the simulation technician |
| Standardised Patients | Primary and community care | High stakes assessment | Mastery learning and technical / procedural skills |
| In-Situ simulation | Human Factors, systems testing and quality improvement | Psychological Safety and civility | Leadership and management of simulation programmes |
What benefits would this offer?
Intended benefits for this programme include:
- access to a standard curriculum for simulation faculty
- Quality assurance through the multi-professional editorial group to align evidence, practice and standards.
- Creating and sharing resources – The shared programme has collated the best evidence and resources for practise from across the country.
- Delivery and access – Provision of an equitable, open access programme co-designed and delivered with engagement across a multiprofessional community.
- Funding & sustainability – Optimised use of funds and time to generate open access to knowledge and theory content through national learning management platforms
- Improving faculty time and retention – a nationally recognised programme that offers a professional development pathway relevant to different healthcare professions and employers
Accessing the programme
To access the programme, you will need an elfh account. If you do not have one, then you can register by selecting ‘Register’ below.
To view the Becoming Simulation Faculty programme, select the ‘View’ button below. If you already have an account with elfh, you will also be able to login and enrol on the programme from the View button.
If you already have an account with elfh, then you can enrol on to the Becoming Simulation Faculty programme by logging in to the elfh Hub, selecting My Account > Enrolment and selecting the programme. You can then access the programme immediately in the My e-Learning section.
At present this programme is being piloted across England, with a view to encouraging participation from University and NHS organisations
Evaluation and further dev of the programme will allow strengthening of links with faculty development programmes within Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This will also provide opportunities to forge links with international colleagues and simulation networks with similar programmes.
To contact the team, email england.simimmtech@nhs.net
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1 comment on “Becoming Simulation Faculty: The national programme for those who design and deliver simulation and immersive learning”
This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing.