Institute for Patient Care: Simulation Programs

Institute for Patient Care Clinical Affilations Program

The Knight Simulation team has been providing educational programming for Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) employees and staff since 2004. To date, more than 2,600 clinicians have participated in programs.

Each simulation program addresses the overall themes of leadership, communication, teamwork, decision-making, and application of clinical knowledge and skills. Scenarios are videotaped and followed by a faculty-guided debriefing. Debriefing focuses on both the clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. Programs vary in length from one to eight hours; some programs include didactic content and equipment review.

At the current time, only MGH staff and employees can attend Knight Simulation programs.

Program Descriptions

Assessment and Management of a Change in Mental Status Program
This monthly one-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to improve the clinical assessment and management of patients with acute changes in mental status. The program includes participation in a simulated scenario, which is videotaped and followed by a debriefing. The debriefing focuses on patient assessment and management and behavioral aspects of performance. The target audience for this program is nurses and first year residents.
Contact Hours: 1.0

Code Blue: Simulated Cardiac Arrest for the Experienced Nurse
This twice monthly four-hour program is designed to increase nurse's knowledge and skill in caring for patients experiencing cardiopulmonary arrest. The program includes two simulated scenarios and didactic presentations on the code cart, defibrillation, the role of the code team, documentation, and an introduction to the principles of critical event management. Scenarios are videotaped and followed by a debriefing, which focuses on both clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. The target audience for this program is general care nurses with more than a year of acute care experience.
Contact Hours: 2.25

Code Team Training
This monthly two-hour program is designed to improve the performance of interdisciplinary teams providing care for patients experiencing cardiopulmonary arrest. The program includes two simulated scenarios and an introduction to the principles of critical event management. Scenarios are videotaped and followed by a debriefing, which focuses on both clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. The target audience for this program includes: nurses, nursing supervisors, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, medical residents and anesthesiology residents.
Contact Hours: 2.0

New Graduate Critical Care Nurse
This series of two-hour programs is part of the curriculum of the existing orientation program for new graduate nurses in critical care. Eight scenarios are linked with lecture content and provide the opportunity to develop assessment, critical thinking, and communication and teamwork skills. The target audience for this series is new graduate nurses who are participating in our 6 month long new graduate in critical care program.
Contact Hours: No contact hours are awarded for this orientation program.

Obstetric Simulation Program: Critical Change in Maternal Status
This four-hour program is designed to improve the clinical assessment and management of patients experiencing obstetrical emergencies. The program includes three simulated scenarios and didactic presentations on the code cart, defibrillation, and teamwork. Scenarios are videotaped and followed by a debriefing, which focuses on both clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. The target audience for this program is nurses working in Labor and Delivery.
Contact Hours: 3.0

Obstetric Simulation Program: Critical Change in Maternal Status
This four-hour program is designed to improve the clinical assessment and management of patients experiencing obstetrical emergencies. The program includes three simulated scenarios and didactic presentations on the code cart, defibrillation, and teamwork. Scenarios are videotaped and followed by a debriefing, which focuses on both clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. The target audience for this program is neonatal, postpartum and antenatal nurses.
Contact Hours: 3.0

Pediatric Simulation: Care of the Sick Child
This monthly two-hour program is designed to improve nursing recognition of and response to changes in patient condition. The program includes two simulated scenarios, a discussion of the National Patient Safety Goals, MGH Rapid Response Team and SBAR. Scenarios are videotaped and followed by a debriefing, which focuses on both clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. The target audience for this program is nurses who care for pediatric patients.
Contact Hours: 2.0

Pediatric Simulation: Care of the Sick Infant
This monthly two-hour program is designed to improve nursing recognition of and response to changes in patient condition. The program includes two simulated scenarios and an introduction to the principles of critical event management. Scenarios are videotaped and followed by a debriefing, which focuses on both clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. The target audience for this program is nurses who care for pediatric patients.
Contact Hours: 2.0

Simulated Bedside Emergencies for the New Nurse
This monthly day long program is designed to increase the nurse’s knowledge and skill in caring for patients experiencing bedside emergencies. The program includes participation in three simulated scenarios as well as didactic presentations on the code cart, defibrillation, the role of the code team, and documentation. Scenarios are videotaped and followed by a debriefing, which focuses on both clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. The target audience is the general care unit staff nurse with less than a year of acute care experience who has completed orientation and is feeling comfortable in his/her role as a new nurse.
Contact hours: 3.25

Simulated Critical Care Emergencies: Enhancing Patient Safety
This monthly four-hour program is designed to enhance patient safety by increasing the participant’s knowledge and skill in their role as a team member in the management of medical emergencies and in the interpretation of complex hemodynamics of a patient in shock. Critical care nurses participate in three videotaped simulated scenarios followed by a debriefing, which focuses on the clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. Nurses working in critical care areas are the target audience for this program.
Contact hours: 3.75