Implications for practice and research

• Simulation is an effective teaching strategy for the enhancement of patient deterioration management.

• Comparison of control (traditional lecture) and intervention groups (simulation) indicate that simulation education approaches significantly improve clinical skills and participant satisfaction. Further work is required to test the impact of simulation on clinical practice.

Context

Harrison and colleagues highlight the significant body of evidence relating to healthcare practitioners ‘failure to rescue’ deteriorating patients with a high levels of disturbed physiological variables in the ward population.1 A knowledge-practice divide exists which leads to sub-standard technical and non-technical management of events.2 Simulation …