Lessons for simulation-based education from social psychology.

Effective practice is informed by underlying theoretical models. Better awareness and understanding of such models can enhance reflection by practitioners on their current educational activities and so help drive the cycle of continuing improvement. In this article the author reflects on three ways in which a better understanding of social psychology gave insights into why some practices appeared to be more effective than others and some ways in which future practice could be altered. Social psychology places great emphasis on the importance of the situation in which people find themselves an how this impacts on their subsequent behaviour. The three areas specifically addressed in the article include factors which motivate and drive human activities, especially the importance of self-esteem. Secondly, the relevance of the fundamental attribution error, which looks at our tendency as humans to ascribe personal attributes as the cause of the behaviour of others rather than the influence of external events. The third area to be explored is the role of acquiring scripts or heuristics that can broaden the range of activities than can be performed at a subconscious or intuitive level. For each concept, the author has included a brief illustration of its application to the practice of a simulation educator.

Literature review: instructional design and pedagogy science in healthcare simulation.

This article is a review of the literature focused on simulation as an educational intervention in healthcare. The authors examined the literature based on four key levels: (1) the validity and reliability of the simulator, (2) the validity and reliability of the performance evaluation tool, (3) the study design, and (4) the translational impact. The authors found that the majority of research literature in healthcare simulation does not address the validity and reliability of the simulator or the performance evaluation tool. However, there are well-designed research studies that address the translation into clinical settings and have positive patient safety outcomes.

Human performance limitations (communication, stress, prospective memory and fatigue).

A key role in anaesthetic practice is gathering and assimilating information from a variety of sources to construct and maintain an accurate mental model of what is happening to the patient, a model that will influence subsequent decisions made by the anaesthetist on the patient's behalf, as part of a larger team. Effective performance of this role requires a set of mental functions that place great demands upon the physiology and psychology of anaesthetists, functions that are vulnerable to a wide range of factors including those affecting team performance and those affecting the anaesthetist specifically. The number of tasks, their complexity, the physical and mental demands of the job, the underlying health and well-being of the anaesthetist and the environment and context within which the team attempt to meet the demands placed on them will influence the outcome of patient care.