By: Emily Field, Communications Specialist, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance
At Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA), the Emergency team at both the Chatham and Wallaceburg sites provide care to patients with acute illnesses or injuries 24 hours a day, seven days per week. The provision of safe, high quality care within CKHA's Emergency Department (ED) is no small feat as this team responded to over 43,000 visits during the 2020/21 fiscal year. To ensure patients receive the best possible care, the team continuously strives to enhance their skills with a focus on building confidence in the high-stress and traumatic scenarios that can present within the Emergency setting.
Recently, a new opportunity launched within CKHA's ED to advance these critical skills along with timely decision-making and response. Led by Dr. Shawn Segeren, Emergency Medicine Physician, with contributions by Dr. Nick Federman, Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Physician, the second Emergency simulation training "SIM session" took place in April for the department's Physicians. Approximately 16 Emergency Medicine Physicians participated in this SIM session in smaller groups over the course of the day. Topics for the session included a stab wound to the neck requiring awake intubation, massive pulmonary embolism, and severe burns with cyanide toxicity. The goal of these SIM sessions are to improve overall team dynamics, test new clinical pathways and materials, identify infrastructure issues and ultimately improve patient care.
This SIM session was deemed a success with many Physician participants gaining a greater level of confidence for those rare and critical scenarios that may present at any moment to CKHA's ED.
"The team dynamic of resuscitations in Emergency Medicine is imperative to the successful outcome for the patient. Sometimes rare events occur and without practice, timely treatment can be delayed. I am grateful to Dr. Segeren for initiating these useful SIM sessions to continue to help me and our team provide the excellent care that our community expects and deserves," said Dr. Allison Morand, Family and Emergency Medicine Physician.
Following the success of the Physician-focused SIM session, this training opportunity expanded for additional members of the inter-professional team. Participants in the first interdisciplinary SIM session held during the month of May included Nursing staff, Respiratory Therapists and additional Emergency Medicine Physicians. These training opportunities are not only crucial to individual skills development but also to maintain and build high levels of collaboration among every member of the team. With plans to continue running monthly interdisciplinary SIM sessions and additional Physician-focused sessions this year, the team in CKHA's ED will have further opportunities to participate in a variety of cases. Future SIM sessions will include topics such as status epilepticus, massive gastrointestinal bleeds and paediatric trauma.
As a result of the success of the initial SIM sessions, Dr. Segeren created an official SIM program known as CK ER Simulation and an accompanying website at www.ckersimulation.com. The website acts as the central hub for all CK ER Simulation events where members of the team can register for upcoming sessions, access pre-readings and debrief documents, as well as participate in discussions through a forum. As one Physician participant stated, the SIM sessions have been not only informative, but an appreciated activity to foster comradery during what has been a difficult year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The last 15 months have been challenging to say the least. Somehow during the demands of this pandemic, Dr. Segeren put in a tremendous amount of energy to organize this," said Dr. Jennifer MacKinnon, Family and Emergency Medicine Physician. She continued, "Not only was the day educational but it was a much needed way to spend some time with our colleagues. We are all looking forward to more SIM sessions to help us provide high quality care to our patients."