Professional competency will be a critical performance outcome in the years ahead. Current investigations have found an alarming increase in the morbidity and morality rates of individuals in hospitals across the United States. With such findings, the competency levels of health care professionals, including nurses, are under scrutiny. The use of human patient simulators (adult and pediatric) in baccalaureate and graduate nursing education provides an excellent, objective tool by which to measure competency in the application of knowledge and technical skills. Emphasis is placed on educational, research, and evaluative applications of the simulators for nursing education. Critical Incident Nursing Management is further described as an instructional framework for the use of this technology. Last, administrative considerations will be addressed.
Byrne, A. J.
, & Jones, J. G. (1997). Responses to simulated anaesthetic emergencies by anaesthetists with different durations of clinical experience. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 78, 553-556.
2.
Devitt, J. H.
, Kurrek, M.,& Cohen, M. (1997). Can medical students be evaluated by a simulator based evaluation tool developed for practicing anesthesiologists?Anesthesiology, 87(3A), A947-A947 (abstract).
3.
Devitt, J. H.
, Kurrek, M. M., Cohen, M. M., Fish, K., Fish, P.,& Noel, A. G. (1998). Testing internal consistency and construct validity during evaluation of performance in a patient simulator. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 86, 1160-1164.
4.
Devitt, J. H.
, Kurrek, M. M., Cohen, M. M., & Lam-McCulloch, J. (1999). Participants perception of a simulator-based evaluation. Anesthesiology, 91(3A), A1131-A1131 (abstract).
5.
Forrest, F.
, & Taylor, M. (1998). High level simulators in medical education. Hospital Medicine, 59(8), 653-655.
6.
Gaba, D. M.
, & DeAnda, A. (1988). A comprehensive anesthesia simulation environment: Recreating the operating room for research and training. Anesthesiology, 69, 387-394.
7.
Gordon, J. A.
(2000). The human patient simulator: Acceptance and efficacy as a teaching tool for students. Academic Medicine, 75, 522-522.
8.
Henrichs, B. M. (1999). The perceptions of student registered nurse anesthetists of the anesthesia patient simulator experience. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO.
9.
Holzman, R. S.
, Cooper, J. G., Gaba, D. M., Philip, J. H., Small, S. D., & Feinstein, D. (1995). Anesthesia crisis resource management: Real life simulation training in operating room crises. Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, 8, 675-687.
10.
Kapur, P. A.
,& Steadman, R. H. (1989). The responses of anesthesia trainees to simulated critical incidents. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 86, 1157-1159.
11.
Mayer, D.
, Freid, E., & Boysen, P. (1999). Validation of simulation as an evaluation method of anesthesiology residents. Anesthesiology, 91(3A), A1130-A1130 (abstract).
12.
Monti, E. J.
, Wren, K., Haas, R.,& Lupien, A. E. (1998). The use of an anesthesia simulator in graduate and undergraduate education. CRNA: The Clinical Forum for Nurse Anesthetists, 9(2), 59-66.
13.
Morgan, P. J.
& Cleave-Hogg, D. (2000). Evaluation of medical students’ performance using the anesthesia simulator. Medical Education, 34, 42-45.
14.
Morgan, P. J.
, Cleave-Hogg, D.,& Guest, M. D. (1999). Can videotapes of medical students performances in an anesthesia simulator be used for summative evaluation?Anesthesiology, 91(3A), A1119-A1119 (abstract).
15.
Murray, W. B.
, & Schneider, A. J. (1999). Full human simulation: Teaching the teachers. Anesthesiology, 91(3A), A1149-A1149 (abstract).
16.
O’Donnell, J.
, Fletcher, J., Dixon, B., & Palmer, L. (1998). Planning and implementing an anesthesia crisis resource management course for student nurse anesthetists. CRNA: The Clinical Forum for Nurse Anesthetists, 9(2), 50-58.
17.
Pew Health Professions Commission
. (1998). Recreating health professional practice for a new century (The fourth report of the Pew Health Professions Commission).San Francisco: Author.
18.
Steadman, R. H.
, Oyesola, B., Levin, P., Miller, J.,& Larson, C. P. (1999). Does simulator training improve skill in administration of remifentanil?Anesthesiology, 91(3A), A1117-A1117 (abstract).
19.
Tome, J. A.
, Fletcher, J.,& Lydell, D. R. (1997). Performance assessment of medical students educated in a simulator environment. Anesthesiology, 87(3A), A946-A946 (abstract).
20.
Watterson, L.
, Flanagan, B., Donovan, B., & Robinson, B. (2000). Anaesthetic simulators: Training for the broader health-care profession. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery, 70, 735-737.
