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Following the purchase of a ‘Sim-man’ simulator, and the development of the Waikato Clinical Skills Centre in 2003, the Waikato Intensive Care Unit has had an ongoing scenario based education program.

This education takes the form of 8-16 targeted full-day educational sessions held per year. All medical and nursing staff are encouraged to participate.

These days have a strong multi-disciplinary focus. The education is conducted by senior consultant medical staff, and charge nurses.

Targeted objectives include:

1. Understanding how ‘human factors’ effect team and individual performance
2. A team-work based approach to intubation
3. A systematic approach to the dislodged ETT
4. A systematic approach to elevated intra-cranial pressure
5. The management of de-compensating arrhythmias

The format of the individual days are structured to suit the experience and background of the participants, with part--task skills training; teaching of crisis resource management and team-working with demonstrations, case discussions and games; and ‘full immersion’ simulations all employed as teaching techniques.

All scenarios are video-debriefed and debriefing targets both technical and (often more importantly) non-technical aspects of performance. Non-technical rating scales are employed to help assist in the debriefing.

Feedback of the teaching day has been universally positive.