Simulation educators in clinical work: the manager's perspective

• Published in: Journal of health organization and management Vol. 34; no. 2; pp. 181 - 191
• Main Authors: Tamás, Éva, Södersved Källestedt, Marie-Louise, Hult, Håkan, Carlzon, Liisa, Karlgren, Klas, Berndtzon, Magnus, Hultin, Magnus, Masiello, Italo, Allvin, Renée
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Emerald Publishing Limited 2020; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Clinical medicine; Communities of practice; Community of practice; Continuing medical education; Cooperative Behavior; Delivery of Health Care; Education, Medical, Continuing; Efficacy; Employment; Female; Health care; Health care management; Hospital Administrators - psychology; Humans; Interviews; Interviews as Topic; Leadership; Male; Managers; Medical personnel; Medical research; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Organisational learning; Patient Safety; Patient simulation; Pedagogy; Perceptions; Professional development; Professional education; Professional Role; Professionals; Qualitative Research; Research Paper; Simulation; Simulation Training; Social education; Staffing; Standardized patients; Teachers; Teamwork; Training; Value; Workforce planning; Patient safety; Continuing medical education; Teamwork; Patient simulation; Community of practice; Organisational learning
• ISSN: 1477-7266; 1758-7247; 1758-7247
• DOI: 10.1108/JHOM-04-2018-0107

PurposeInformation is scarce on healthcare managers' understanding of simulation educators' impact on clinical work. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore healthcare managers' perceptions of the significance of clinically active simulation educators for the organisation.Design/methodology/approachHealthcare managers were invited to be interviewed in a semi-structured manner. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify and analyse patterns of notions describing the managers' perceptions of simulation educators' impact as co-workers on their healthcare organisations.FindingsThe identified relevant themes for the healthcare unit were: (1) value for the manager, (2) value for the community and (3) boundaries. Simulation educators were perceived to be valuable gatekeepers of evidence-based knowledge and partners in leadership for educational issues. Their most prominent value for the community was establishing a reflective climate, facilitating open communication and thereby improving the efficacy of teamwork. Local tradition, economy, logistics and staffing of the unit during simulation training were suggested to have possible negative impacts on simulation educators' work.Practical implicationsThe findings might have implications for the implementation and support of simulation training programs.Social implicationsHealthcare managers appreciated both the personal value of simulation educators and the effect of their work for their own unit. Local values were prioritised versus global. Simulation training was valued as an educational tool for continual professional development, although during the interviews, the managers did not indicate the importance of employment of pedagogically competent and experienced staff.Originality/valueThe study provided new insights about how simulation educators as team members affect clinical practice.