SIMULATION AND VIRTUAL REALITY

The East Anglian Simulation and Training Centre, based at Ipswich Hospital, has a suite of simulation rooms providing multidisciplinary healthcare education using high fidelity patient manikins is a state-ofthe-art simulation room. The simulation centre is run by 4 expert colleagues who lead and facilitate the training. The team has the ability to run concurrent sessions in the simulation area as well as in clinical areas within the hospital.

The simulation suite is constantly developing to provide the most up to date training facilities for all trainees. A new manikin has been purchased which has capabilities including sweating, fitting, light activated pupil reactions and enhanced sound production during auscultation. This new manikin will also facilitate trauma scan practice. In addition, there will shortly be a new manikin that can facilitate female simulations including birthing simulations.

The simulation suite facilitates learning for undergraduate and postgraduate doctors and nurses in medicine, surgery, A&E and paediatrics. Some examples of training includes foundation doctor simulation days, 5th year medical students ‘bleep week’ and weekly training in the emergency department resus. There are also skills trainers for ultrasound including FAST scanner, Chest drain insertion, TruPICC and Central line insertion.

The Virtual Reality (VR) training is offered to medical and nursing trainees to provide an immersive, and engaging learning environment. It allows trainees to work through clinical scenarios with a facilitator to focus on decision making in a safe environment without compromising patient safety. The VR training is delivered through Oxford Medical Simulation (OMS) software which is an award-winning evidencebased learning platform.