Immersive simulations: embedding a growth mindset and resilience

First introduced into our curriculum in 2020, immersive simulation has become a vital element of the BVM&S undergraduate programme at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. We are proud to be the only veterinary school in the UK with its own custom designed immersive simulation (SIM) lab. 

What is immersive simulation? 

Simulation has been widely used in veterinary teaching for many years. It produces an experience without going through the real event. Using models and mannequins, students can practice skills from basic clinical techniques such as suturing, or putting in an intravenous canula, to complex clinical techniques.  

Immersive simulation involves exposing students to an experience and environment that feels real to them, offering learning opportunites that are not always available in real events. First developed for the aviation industry and quickly adopted as a valuable tool for teaching human medicine, it is the creation of a realistic interactive experience.  

Embedding clinical skills 

In 2020, the School invested £75,000 to establish a dedicated SIM lab teaching space for immersive simulation, to help prepare undergraduate students for the high-pressure situations they may experience in clinical practice. 

The SIM lab is identical to one of the consultation rooms in the School’s Hospital for Small Animals and is fitted with video cameras. 

Students in the SIM lab are exposed to a number of different clinical scenarios for them to work through. Sophisticated animal mannequins mimic what could happen in a clinical setting and are specially adapted to respond to treatment, and errors, accurately. Actors are also used to play the part of clients in certain scenarios. The student in the SIM lab is watched remotely by teaching staff and a small group of fellow students via video link and, at the end of the simulation, there is a debriefing session to discuss the learning outcomes from the exercise. 

Innovative teaching approach 

The initiative was led by Dr Kristina Pollock, who had seen first-hand the benefit of this innovative teaching approach at medical schools in the UK and veterinary schools in the US. 

“Traditionally in veterinary education we have had a learning gap between teaching clinical and technical skills and practical application of those skills in real clinical settings. The students learn procedural skills on low-fidelity mannequins before moving to clinics and caring for real live patients, there was no opportunity to practise the skills in a simulated setting in-between. We learned from medical education that immersive simulation is the perfect tool for addressing this gap. 

“A key component of using immersive simulation is the element of psychological safety. The SIM lab gives our students the opportunity to practise procedures that are clinically, psychologically, and emotionally challenging, such as CPR and euthanasia, in a safe space before they have to do it in the real world.”   

Reflective learning 

Kristina explains: “Compared with didactic teaching methods, where students are told what they need to know, with immersive simulation the emphasis is on reflective learning. It generates a genuine deep learning where the student learns from their own reflection on the experience.” 

“The students move through an experience and, as a facilitator, you hope that the learner will reach certain points in their understanding. You brief them in advance of what to expect before exposing them to the experience, and afterwards you go through a process of questioning, known as debriefing, to help them determine whether they reached those learning points themselves.”  

Immersive simulations are also a way to teach human factors such as communication skills and resilience, coping with high stress situations, dealing effectively with distractions and conflict management, which will support them in their professional careers.  

Realistic clinical scenarios 

All fourth-year students participate in a series of SIM lab experiences before they embark on their clinical rotations in final year. In addition to a standard consultation simulation, they also complete a euthanasia simulation, with a pet mannequin and client actor. Pharmacy simulations with our campus pharmacists enable students to learn how to dispense medications safely in a realistic veterinary pharmacy setting, reflecting upon common causes of medication errors.  

A cohort of our final year students also complete advanced life support CPR scenarios as part of RECOVER initiative CPR training., where they respond to a patient in cardiac arrest. But immersive simulation exercises aren’t limited to the lab; Kristina and her colleague Patrick Pollock also deliver emergency response simulations for fourth-year students.  

“Each year we set up a simulated roadside accident involving a horse mannequin, a dog mannequin and a real car and use actors to play the driver of the car and the owner of the horse. This gives our students invaluable experience of what it’s like to be a veterinary emergency first responder.”  

Valued by students 

The SIM lab and teaching approach has been enthusiastically received by students, who report that they feel that they feel safe to practise, make mistakes, ask questions, and support their fellow students.  

“Our students come to vet school having learned to perform well in exams. However, in these simulations, students don’t always get it right and it’s important for our students to become comfortable with that and to acknowledge that failure is an opportunity for growth. 

“We're looking forward to further developing the SIM lab and expanding the learning opportunities we can give our students.” 

 

Find out more about the BVM&S programme https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/studying/undergraduate