The Institute for Patient Care

Knight Simulation Programs

The Knight Simulation Program team has been providing educational programming for Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) employees and staff since 2004. Each simulation program addresses the overall themes of leadership, communication, teamwork, decision-making, and application of clinical knowledge and skills. Scenarios are video recorded and followed by a faculty-guided debriefing, which focuses on 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

Simulated Bedside Emergencies for the New Nurse
This 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 four simulated scenarios as well as a review of the code cart, hands-on practice with the defibrillator, and documentation practice in the code narrator. Scenarios are video recorded 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: 6.5
Go to the Knight Nursing Center Continuing Education Calendar for course dates and registration.
For more information, please email the Knight Simulation Program team at PCSIPC@partners.org

Code Blue: Simulated Cardiac Arrest for the Experienced Nurse
This four-hour program is designed to increase the nurse’s knowledge and skill in caring for patients experiencing cardiopulmonary arrest. The program includes participation in two simulated scenarios as well as a review of the code cart, hands-on practice with the defibrillator, documentation practice in the code narrator, and an introduction to the principles of critical event management. Scenarios are video recorded and followed by a debriefing, which focuses on both clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. The target audience for this program is the general care unit staff nurse with more than a year of acute care experience.
Contact Hours: 4.0
Go to the Knight Nursing Center Continuing Education Calendar for course dates and registration.
For more information, please email the Knight Simulation Program team at PCSIPC@partners.org

Transition to Practice Program for Critical Care and Oncology Nurse Residents: Simulation
Critical Care Nurse Residency and Oncology Nurse Residency simulation education is based on the clinical specialty curriculum. The clinical scenarios have broad applications in all critical care or oncology environments. They are designed to provide the learner with clinical experiences they may or may not have encountered in their unit. Simulated scenarios are followed by a debriefing, a guided reflection that focuses on both the clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. Participation in the simulation and debriefing assist the nurse resident to develop problem solving skills, recognize critical patterns within patient care, refine critical thinking, and practice communication and teamwork skills.
For more information, please email the Knight Simulation Program team at PCSIPC@partners.org

Simulated Emergencies for the Oncology
This four-hour program is designed to enhance early recognition and nursing management of high risk/low frequency clinical events in the oncology patient. The program includes active participation in simulated scenarios, which are video recorded and followed by a debriefing that focuses on both the clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. The target audience for this program includes chemotherapy competent MGH nurses.
Contact hours: 4.0   
For more information, please email the Knight Simulation Program team at PCSIPC@partners.org

Hemodynamic Monitoring of the Patient with Heart Failure in the Intermediate Care Area
This four-hour unit-based program is designed to enhance the knowledge, skills, critical thinking, and clinical decision making needed to care for heart failure patients undergoing tailored therapy using hemodynamic monitoring. Nurses have the opportunity to practice using systems to measure hemodynamics, integrate patient assessment findings with hemodynamic data, and troubleshoot issues and complications related to the patient’s illness and the pulmonary artery catheter. The program includes active participation in simulated scenarios, which are video recorded and followed by a debriefing that focuses on both the clinical and behavioral aspects of performance. The target audience
for this program includes nurses on the Interventional Cardiology Unit.
Contact hours: 4.0
For more information, please email the Knight Simulation Program team at PCSIPC@partners.org

Management of Acute Agitation for Psychiatry Medical Residents
This series of two one-hour simulation-based trainings is designed for psychiatry medical residents to assess and manage a patient with agitation. Each scenario is followed by a faculty directed debriefing. The target audience for this program is MGH psychiatry residents.
For more information, please email the Knight Simulation Program team at PCSIPC@partners.org

Clinical Pastoral Education: Simulation
This program is designed to enhance skill development in the field of pastoral care. Scenarios provide a wide variety of pastoral care encounters and are followed by a faculty guided debriefing. The target audience for this program is the Clinical Pastoral Education Residents.
For more information, please email the Knight Simulation Program team at PCSIPC@partners.org

Unit-Based Programs
The Knight Center Simulation Program team offers individualized programs to meet the needs of MGH staff and employees. Programs are held in the simulation lab or on patient care units.
For more information, please email the Knight Simulation Program team at PCSIPC@partners.org

Not Finding What You’re Looking For?
The Knight Center Simulation Program team is available to assist in the development of simulation programs to meet the needs of MGH staff and employees.
For more information, please email the Knight Simulation Program team at PCSIPC@partners.org