ASSERT, UCC and the ASG have joined forces to collaborate on a Critical Incident Simulation Exercise within a simulated emergency department of a hospital with the theme of Training for the Unexpected. Members of An Garda Síochána, Cork will participate in this exercise on March 29th next in the ASSERT Centre at UCC which is a state-of-the-art world class simulation centre, where education, training, research, and innovation are closely interlinked. ASSERT applies the science of simulation to enhance and consolidate skills training in the technical and non-technical domains.
Simulation based training in healthcare leads to enhanced skills, including knowledge-in-action, procedure performance, critical thinking, decision-making, problem solving in dynamic fluctuating
environments, leadership, effective communication, collaboration and teamwork. These skills sets are equally applicable for successful performance across other safety-critical organisations and industry, including first response agencies such as police, firefighters, paramedics, army, navy, civil defence and other rescuer services on land, sea and air.
About ASSERT AGS Critical Incident Simulation Exercise
Shares best practice and expertise amongst organisations involved in the supply of education, training and simulation in high-risk sectors. This event will foster innovation and build partnerships in training and simulation across safety-critical industries, where we can share resources and expertise to provide new techniques and solutions to deliver safer and more efficient operations.
Pat Henn, Director of Research & Education at the ASSERT Centre today commented;
‘’I am delighted that the ASSERT Centre and the ASG have joined forces to collaborate on a Critical Incident Simulation Exercise within a simulated emergency department of a hospital with the theme of Training for the Unexpected which will showcase our superb facility and no doubt achieve excellent results’’
About Simulation Exercise
A number of simulation exercise’s will take place throughout the day, the goals include use of communications methods (giving control a SITREP), Immediate reaction/response of Garda to a rapid escalation of situation, Ability to understand the issues/risks and prioritisation of actions, Escalation of response; what type of assistance is sought and why to name but a few.
An example of one of the exercise’s is detailed below, in a scene from a busy ED waiting room 12 Role players will take part
Role players:
- 5 young males who are intoxicated. One of the five has a bleeding head injury. Trying to get their friend seen first and falling around the room (source: student body)
- 2 females with a sick baby asking to be seen next (source: student body)
- 5 general members of the public who are disgusted by intoxicated students just waiting to be seen. 2 coughing. I vomiting. 2 with hand/foot injuries with bandages and crutches (source VO)
- 1 clerical worker checking in at desk (Assert)
- Gardai approach clerical with the casualty and begin checking in process.
- Checking in process:
o Name
o Age/ DOB
o Address
o Presenting complaint
- At this stage the casualty reduces GCS to 13 and states he feels he may vomit. Clerical asks AGS to take The Casualty to the side and get him a vomit bowl. We will arrange the room in a manner that makes moving around difficult for the AGS to manage a non-compliant Casualty. The clerical worker picks up the phone and calls for the triage nurse to come out to ED waiting room
- 2 Intoxicated student role players in the background are to voice their anger at the casualty getting seen before them and AGS need to manage the situation.
- The role player with the child asks the Gardai and clerical worker why her child has to wait etc
- One of the older role players takes out his mobile and starts to film AGS handle the situation
- The Triage nurse turns up and reviews the patient while traying to get a handover from AGS.
- The Casualty then collapses to the floor unconscious.
- Triage Nurse asks AGS to help get him on a trolley located in the ED behind some chairs and to relocate The Casualty to a cubicle
For more information please contact Tara O’Leary, communications College of Medicine and Health, UCC on 0858077849 or email tara.oleary@ucc.ie.
Gerard McCarthy Photography