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Simulation

WHY simulation?

The Singhealth Anaesthesiology ACP places a strong emphasis on education, and recognises that simulation training forms an integral part of anaesthesiology education. Anaesthesiology has always been at the forefront of simulation education. Our specialty has often been likened to aviation, where anaesthesiologists, like pilots, face rapidly evolving situations. Simulation, through the use of current technology, allows anaesthesiologists to practise decision-making and non-technical skills like communication and teamwork in a realistic and reproducible setting. This enables reflective learning as well as assessment of competence. Our goal is to improve patient safety by allowing learners to hone their clinical skills on standardised patients, high fidelity mannequins and task trainers, thereby causing minimal patient harm during the training process.


WHO do we train using simulation?

​1. Medical students

2. Anaesthesiology Residents

3. Non-Anaesthesiology Residents

4. Medical officers

5. Clinical Fellows

6. Residents Physicians

7. Clinicians, including those from non-anaesthesia
    specialities such as General Surgery, Neurosurgery,
    and Obstetrics & Gynaecology

8. Nurses (Post-anaesthesia Care Unit, Operating
    Theatre, Intensive Care Unit, Clinics)

9. Allied Health professionals (interprofessional
    education)

10. Non-medical Operating Theatre staff
      (multidisciplinary in-situ team training) 


WHERE do we train using simulation?

The SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Medical Simulation (SIMS) is equipped with one of the largest and most comprehensive medical simulation facilities in Singapore. These include training facilities at the Singapore General Hospital Campus (The Academia Simulation Lab and Duke-NUS Medical School), KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Changi General Hospital and Sengkang Health. These facilities provide healthcare professionals a controlled, yet realistic environment for simulation training. In June 2019, SIMS became the first programme in Singapore and Southeast Asia achieve full accreditation by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare for all its 4 sites.

We also set up simulation training outside of the simulation centre, conducting in-situ multidisciplinary team training in the operating theatres, ICUs, Emergency Department, Ambulatory Endoscopy Centre, National Dental Centre and Preoperative Assessment Clinic. In situ simulation has enabled us to uncover latent threats in our environment and work processes, and these are reported to the Clinical Services and Quality Committee who then implemented measures to remove or mitigate these latent threats. These have had a significant impact on patient safety. 


 


WHAT do we train using simulation?

1. Technical / Procedural Skills

a. Intravenous cannulation

b. Spinal and Epidural Anaesthesia

c. Endotracheal intubation (with and without
    videolaryngoscopy)

d. Laryngeal mask insertion

e. Fiberoptic intubation

f. Surgical airway

g. Conduct of General Anaesthesia

h. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ACLS)

i. Point-of –Care Ultrasound


2. Non-technical Skills

a. Crisis resource management skills

b. Communication in challenging situations

           

HOW do we train using simulation?

​1. High-fidelity mannequins

2. Task trainers

3. Standardised Patients

4. Hybrid simulation (combination of Standardised
    Patient with task trainer) 


ACP Simulation Committee

1. Dr Chong Shin Yuet (Director), SGH/ SKH Department of Anaesthesiology

2. Dr Farida Ithnin, KKWCH Women’s Anaesthesia Department

3. Dr Lee Su Min, KKWCH Paediatric Anaesthesia Department

4. Dr Tong Qian Jun, CGH


Faculty Development

SIMS-SET (SIMS- Simulation Educator Training) course

In 2018, we were awarded a $36,000 ACP education grant to run three yearly SIMS-SET courses specifically tailored to anaesthesiology to train future simulation faculty within our ACP.

To date, we have run two courses in April 2018 and April 2019, and February 2021.

Graduates of the SIMS SET course are invited to practise their newly acquired skills at simulation workshops we run throughout the year. With increased experience, the new faculty are given opportunities to organise workshops and write scenarios. Senior Residents with an interest in simulation education are also encouraged to sign up for an elective in simulation education during their SR years.

AMEI and Duke-NUS also conduct talks and invite foreign experts to run workshops for simulation-related topics such as advanced debriefing and scenario writing.

We currently have 5 SSH (Society for Simulation in Healthcare) Certified Healthcare Simulation Educators (CHSE) among our anaesthesiology faculty.