Platform Skills and Simulation Education (SSE)

Introduction: Skills and Simulation Education (SSE) is very important in the quality and safety of healthcare. With this type of education a safe learning environment is created. Without putting patients at risk, future and current health caregivers can practice their skills. Their ability can be tested in a standardized way and feedback can be given to develop their skills.

Problem: In large hospitals like the UMC Utrecht it is difficult to have an overview of the full spectrum of skills education. In particular because it often concerns highly specialized activities. Lack of overview may lead to similar education on multiple places, as well as lack of sharing of knowledge, expertise and simulation materials.

Results: A digital platform was developed, complemented by a quarterly meeting of SSO educators, as well as a yearly educational seminar for a broad audience of teaching staff at the UMC Utrecht . The digital platform provides an overview of all skills and simulation education provided at the UMC Utrecht. With a search engine employees can easily search for relevant competency training. Also, teaching staff interested in developing or providing SSE can more easily get in touch with each other. The increased contact through these meetings and the platform has led to the formulation of a shared UMC Utrecht vision on SSE education.

Discussion: By visiting the SSE platform, health care providers should be able to get a better understanding about the topics in skills and simulation education, and be able to find the training that suits their need. Currently the platform is mainly provider-driven. We are looking for ways to better asses (new) needs to optimize the balance between supply and demand in SSE in the UMC Utrecht. These interventions are expected to increase efficiency and quality of the SSE, resulting in an increase of safety in healthcare.