Simulation Terminology

Evaluation

A broad term for appraising data or placing a value on data gathered through one or more measurements. It involves rendering a judgment including strengths and weaknesses.

Prompt

A cue given to a participant in a scenario

Critical Thinking

A disciplined process that requires validation of data including any assumptions that may influence thoughts and actions, and then careful reflection on the entire process while evaluating the effectiveness of what has been determined as the necessary action(s) to take.

Psychological Safety

A feeling (explicit or implicit) where in a simulation-based learning activity, participants can speak up, share thoughts, perceptions, and opinions without risk of retribution or embarrassment.

Facilitation

A method and strategy that occurs throughout (before, during, and after) simulation-based learning experiences in which a person helps to bring about an outcome(s) by providing unobtrusive guidance.

Coaching

A method of directing or instructing a person or group of people in order to achieve a goal or goals, develop a specific skill or skills, or develop a competency or competencies

Basic Assumption

A modus operandi or culture in a simulation center that promotes a safe learning environment through respect for the learners' experience and knowledge and creating engaging, relevant simulation events

Simulation

A pedagogy using one or more typologies to promote, improve or validate a participant's progress from novice to expert

Standardized Patient (Simulated Patient)

A person trained to consistently portray a patient or other individual in a scripted scenario for the purposes of instruction, practice, or evaluation

Simulation Learning Environment

A physical location where a simulation-based learning experience takes place and where a safe atmosphere is creased by the facilitator to foster sharing and discussion of participant experiences without negative consequences. Should facilitate trust and foster learning and support the development of professional and interprofessional competency

Role

A responsibility or character assumed in a simulation-based learning activity.

Embedded participants/Scenario Guide/ Scenario Role Player/Confederate

A role assigned in a simulation encounter to help guide the scenario. The guidance may be influential as positive, negative, or neutral or as a distracters, depending on the objectives, the level of the participants, and the scenario

Blooms Taxonomy

A system or science for the classification of learning objectives; simulation education using experiential learning generally uses higher level of this taxonomy

Program or Process Evaluation

A systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of simulation-based learning activities to make judgments about the program, improve or further program effectiveness, increase understanding, and inform decisions and future programming.

Concept Mapping

A teaching strategy or method of visualizing relationships among various concepts. Can be used in preparation to help participants organize patient data, see relationships,and understand the clinical presentation of the patient or during debriefing.

Confederate

A term sometimes used to describe an embedded participant

Professional Integrity

A trait exhibited by one's ability to consistently and willingly practice within the guidelines of the code of ethics of a chosen profession.

Skill Acquisition (Skill Attainment)

After instruction, the ability to integrate the knowledge, skills (technical and nontechnical), and attitudes necessaryto provide safe patient care. The individual progresses through five stages of proficiency; novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert.

Debriefing

An activity that follows a simulation experience and is led by a facilitator. Participants' reflective thinking is encouraged, and feedback is provided regarding the participants' performance while various aspects of the completed simulation are discussed.

Simulated-based Learning Experience

An array of structured activities that represent actual or potential situation in education and practice and allow participants to develop or enhance knowledge, skills, and attitudes or analyze and respond to realistic situation in a simulated environment or through an unfolding case study.

Simulation Testing Environment

An atmosphere that is created by the facilitator to allow for evaluation to occur. The simulation testing environment should provide a valid, reliable equivalent experience for all participants to test knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

High Stakes Evaluation

An evaluation process associated with a simulation activity that has a major academic, educational, or employment consequence (such as grading decision, including pass or fail implications; a decision regarding competency, merit pay, promotion or certification.

Facilitator

An individual who provides guidance, support, and structure during simulation-based learning experiences

Prebriefing (Briefing)

An information or orientation session held prior to the start of a simulation-based learning experience in which instructions or preparatory information is given to the participants. The purpose is to set the stage for a scenario and assist participants in achieving scenario objectives.

Decision-making Abilities

An outcome of mental processes (cognitive process) leading to the selection of a course of action from among several alternatives.

Formative Assessment

Assessment wherein the facilitator's focus is on the participant's progress toward goal attainment; a process for an individual or group engaged in a simulation activity for the purpose of providing constructive feedback for that individual or group to improve

Confidence

Belief in oneself and one's abilities

Fidelity/Realism/Authenticity

Believability, or the degree to which a simulated experience approaches reality. The level is determined by the environment, the tools and resources used.

Holistic Care

Care that involves viewing and treating a patient as a whole person. Holistic care involves support of the physical, mental spiritual, emotional, social, and environmental needs of the person

Typology

Classification of types In simulation, it refers to the classification of different education methods or equipment used to provide a simulated experience.

Nursing skill development and clinical judgment model

Developed by the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, reflects the complexity of skill development necessary to progress from more basic skills to the higher-level clinical judgment and reasoning ability used in decision making for safe, effective nursing practice.

Summative Evaluation

Evaluation at the end of a time period, in which participants are provided with feedback about their achievement of outcome criteria; a process for determining the competence of a participant engaged in an activity

Andragogy

Expands on pedagogy and refers to active, learner-focused education for people of all ages. It is based on learning principals that involve problem solving that is relevant to the learner's everyday experiences.

Low Fidelity

Experiences such as case studies, role-playing, using partial task trainers, or static mannequins to immerse students or professionals in a clinical situation or practice of a specific skill

Moderate or Midlevel Fidelity

Experiences that are more technology sophisticated such as computer-based self-directed learning systems simulations in which the participant relies on a two dimensional focused experience to problem solve, perform a skill and make decisions

High Fidelity

Experiences using full scale computerized patient simulators, virtual reality or standardized patients that are extremely realistic and provide a high level of interactivity and realism for the learner.

Environmental conditions

Includes manikin, setting, or standardized patient preparation.

Formative Feedback

Information communicated to participants with the intent of modifying thinking or behavior to improve learning and future performance. Should be supportive, timely and specific

Feedback

Information given or dialogue between participants, facilitator, simulator, or peer with the intention of improving the understanding of concepts aspects of performance

Summative Feedback

Information provided by a facilitator regarding aspects of performance that are associated with the assignment of a grade, demonstration of competency, merit pay, promotion, or certification.

Cueing

Information provided that helps the participant progress through the clinical scenario to achieve stated objectives

KSA

Knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to continuously improve the quality and safety of the health care systems within which they work

Outcome

Measurable results of the participants' progress toward meeting a set of objectives. Expected outcomes are the change in knowledge, skills, or attitudes as a result of the simulation experience.

Participant

One who engages in a simulation-based learning activity for the purpose of gaining or demonstrating mastery of knowledge, skills, and attitudes of professional practice.

Teacher

One who uses a system of directed and deliberate actions and activities for the purpose of inducing learning

Clinical

Pertaining to or founded on actual or simulated assessment and care of individuals, families, or groups in health care settings, as distinguished from theoretical.

Constructivism

Philosophical theory of learning that views knowledge as something that individuals construct for themselves through their interaction with their environment.

Guided Reflection

Process used by the facilitator during debriefing that reinforces the critical aspects of the experience and encourages insightful learning, allowing the participant to assimilate theory, practice, and research in order to influence future actions.

Safe Patient Care

Quality care provided by health care practitioners with a focus on the prevention of harm to patients.

Psychomotor

Refers to a domain of learning that involves skills related to professional practice including fine motor, manual, and gross motor skills.

Environmental Fidelity

Refers to the degree to which the simulated environment (manikin, room, tools, equipment, moulage, and sensory props) approximates reality.

Affective

Refers to the domain of learning that involves attitudes, beliefs, values, feelings, and emotions. In the QSEN model this domain of learning is referred to as "attitudes"

Problem Solving

Refers to the process of selectively attending to information in the patient care setting, using existing knowledge and collecting pertinent data to formulate a solution.

Prebriefing

Review of the objectives, instructions prior to implementation of scenario, questions, or other resources used in the scenario

Competence

Standardized requirement for an individual to properly perform a specific role. It encompasses a combination of discrete and measurable knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are essential for patient safety and quality patient care.

Objective

Statement(s) of specific measurable results that participant(s) is expected to achieve during a simulation-based learning experience.

Moulage

Techniques used to simulate injury, disease, aging, and other physical characteristics specific to a scenario

QSEN

The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses.

Psychomotor Skill

The ability to carry out physical movements efficiently and effectively, with speed and accuracy. It includes the ability to perform proficiently, smoothly, and consistently under varying conditions and within appropriate time limits.

Clinical Reasoning

The ability to gather and comprehend data while recalling knowledge, skills, and attitudes about a situation as it unfolds. After analysis, information is put together into a meaningful whole when applying the information to new situations.

Remediation

The act or process of correcting a performance gap.

Clinical Judgment

The art of making a series of decisions to determine whether to take action based on various types of knowledge. The individual recognizes changes and salient aspects in a clinial situation, interprets their meaning, responds appropriately, and reflects on the effectiveness of the intervention.

pedagogy

The art of science of instructional methods. The study of teaching methods, including goals of education and the ways those goals can be achieved.

Knowledge

The awareness, understanding, and expertise an individual acquires through experience or education

Reliability

The consistency of a measurement, or the degree to which an instrument measures in the same way each time it is used under the same conditions with the same participants. It is the repeatability of a measurement.

Validity

The degree to which a test or evaluation tool accurately measures the intended concept of interest

Safe Learning Environment

The emotional climate that facilitators create by the interaction between facilitators and participants. In this positive emotional climate, participants feel at ease taking risks, making mistakes, or extending themselves beyond their comfort zone.

Reflective Thinking

The engagement of self-monitoring that occurs during or after simulation experience. Considered essential, promotes the discovery of new knowledge with the intent of applying this knowledge to future situations. Requires the creativity and conscious self-evaluation to deal with unique patient situations.

Psychological Fidelity

The extent to which the simulated environment evokes the underlying psychological processes that are necessary in the real-world setting, including factors such as emotions, beliefs, and self awareness of participants in simulation scenarios.

Clinical Scenario

The plan of an expected and potential course of events for a simulated clinical experience. Provides the context for the simulation and can vary in length and complexity, depending on the objectives.

Measurement

The process of quantifying a participant's abilities related to knowledge, skills, or attitudes in the achievement of objectives

Questioning

The strategic process of seeking information or knowledge, thoughts, feelings, and judgments before, during, and after a scenario.

Inter-professional

Two or more professionals collaborating as a team with a shared purpose, goal, and mutual respect to deliver safe, quality health care.

Inter-professional Education

When students from two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes.

Domains of Learning

three separate, yet interdependent components of learning outcomes achievable by human learners. Cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.