Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Essentials of Scenario Building

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation: Anesthesiology

Part of the book series: Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation ((CHS))

Abstract

A scenario is a vital component of immersive simulation, an educational tool systematically designed for participants so that a set of predetermined goals and objectives can be reached by the transfer of knowledge, skills, and attitude during the activity. No matter how fastidiously planned and skillfully produced, at some point, participants will surprise the scenario developers by improvising and deviating from the script either by making mistakes or through resourcefulness. An immersive simulation course is composed of discrete elements, typically beginning with an introduction, briefing, scenario, debriefing, and conclusion. In this chapter, we will primarily focus on creating the scenario. We will take the practical and applied approach to scenario design discussing essential elements and examining the impact of composition choices on learner experience. Core components of a scenario include the following: (1) the planning phase (identify goals, objectives, and participants) and (2) the script-writing phase (decide on the story, plot, staffing requirements, etc.). In simulation literature, the terms “immersive,” “full mission,” “scenario-based,” or “full scale” are used to refer to mannequin-based scenarios designed to address complex knowledge, skills, and attitudes linked to one or several broader competencies. Although many of the design principles apply to other types of simulation in disciplines and professions beyond anesthesiology, the emphasis here will be on mannequin-based immersive simulation for anesthesiology providers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Scenario: Merriam-Webster Incorporated; [cited 2016 September 7]. Online Dictionary]. Available from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scenario.

  2. Lopreiato JO, Downing D, Gammon W, Lioce L, Sittner B, Slot V, et al. Healthcare Simulation Dictionary 2016 January 3, 2017. Available from: http://www.ssih.org/dictionary.

  3. Cook DA, Hamstra SJ, Brydges R, Zendejas B, Szostek JH, Wang AT, et al. Comparative effectiveness of instructional design features in simulation-based education: systematic review and meta-analysis. Med Teach. 2013;35(1):e867–98.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Hamstra SJ, Brydges R, Hatala R, Zendejas B, Cook DA. Reconsidering fidelity in simulation-based training. Acad Med. 2014;89(3):387–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Issenberg SB, McGaghie WC, Petrusa ER, Lee Gordon D, Scalese RJ. Features and uses of high-fidelity medical simulations that lead to effective learning: a BEME systematic review. Med Teach. 2005;27(1):10–28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Rall M, Gaba D, Dieckmann P, Eich C. Patient Simulation. In: Miller RD, Ericcson LI, Fleisher LA, Wiener-Kronish JP, Young WL, editors. Miller’s anesthesia. 7th ed. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Fanning RM, Gaba DM. Debriefing. In: Gaba DM, Fish KJ, Howard SK, Burden AR, editors. Crisis management in anesthesiology. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders; 2015. p. 65–78.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Dieckmann P, Gaba D, Rall M. Deepening the theoretical foundations of patient simulation as social practice. Simul Healthc. 2007;2(3):183–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Benson DK, McMahon C, Sinnreich RH. Art of scenario design. Simul Games. 1972;3(4):439–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Stillsmoking KL. Simulation scenario building. In: Kyle R, Murray WB, editors. Clinical simulation: operations, engineering, and management. 1st ed. Burlington: Academic Press; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ambrose SA, Bridges MW, DiPietro M, Lovett MC, Norma MK. How learning works: seven research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Armstrong P. Bloom’s taxonomy [Internet]. Vanderbilt University; [cited 2017 May 20]. Available from: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/ - why.

  13. Taekman JM. Template for simulation patient design: Duke University; 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Bambini D. Writing a simulation scenario: a step-by-step guide. AACN Adv Crit Care. 2016;27(1):62–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. McKimm J, Swanwick T. Setting learning objectives. Br J Hosp Med. 2009;70(7):406–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Chiu M, Tarshis J, Antoniou A, Bosma TL, Burjorjee JE, Cowie N, et al. Simulation-based assessment of anesthesiology residents' competence: development and implementation of the Canadian National Anesthesiology Simulation Curriculum (CanNASC). Can J Anaesth. 2016;63(12):1357–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Wen LY, Gaba DM, Udani AD. Summative assessments using Simulation requires safeguards. Anesth Analg. 2017;124(1):369.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Patterson MD, Blike GT, Nadkarini VM. In Situ simulation: challenges and results. In: Henriksen K, Battles JB, Keyes MA, editors. Advances in patient safety: new directions and alternative approaches. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US): Rockville, MD; 2008. p. 3.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Kyle RR, Via DK, Lowy RJ, Madsen JM, Marty AM, Mongan PD. A multidisciplinary approach to teach responses to weapons of mass destruction and terrorism using combined simulation modalities. J Educ Perioper Med. 2004;6(1):E029.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Baker DP, Day R, Salas E. Teamwork as an essential component of high-reliability organizations. Health Serv Res. 2006;41(4 Pt 2):1576–98.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Anderson JM, Murphy AA, Boyle KB, Yaeger KA, Halamek LP. Simulating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation emergencies to improve human performance. Part II: assessment of technical and behavioral skills. Simul Healthc. 2006;1(4):228–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Sorensen JL, van der Vleuten C, Rosthoj S, Ostergaard D, LeBlanc V, Johansen M, et al. Simulation-based multiprofessional obstetric anaesthesia training conducted in situ versus off-site leads to similar individual and team outcomes: a randomised educational trial. BMJ Open. 2015;5(10):e008344.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Cooper JB, Singer SJ, Hayes J, Sales M, Vogt JW, Raemer D, et al. Design and evaluation of simulation scenarios for a program introducing patient safety, teamwork, safety leadership, and simulation to healthcare leaders and managers. Simul Healthc. 2011;6(4):231–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Blum RH, Raemer DB, Carroll JS, Sunder N, Felstein DM, Cooper JB. Crisis resource management training for an anaesthesia faculty: a new approach to continuing education. Med Educ. 2004;38(1):45–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. van Merrienboer JJ, Sweller J. Cognitive load theory in health professional education: design principles and strategies. Med Educ. 2010;44(1):85–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Navedo DD, Reidy PA. Continuum of care. In: Palaganas J, Maxworthy J, Epps C, Mancini M, editors. Defining excellence in simulation programs. 1st ed: Wolters-Kluwer; 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Sawyer T, Eppich W, Brett-Fleegler M, Grant V, Cheng A. More than one way to debrief: a critical review of healthcare simulation debriefing methods. Simul Healthc. 2016;11(3):209–17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Alinier G. Developing high-Fidelity health care simulation scenarios: a guide for educators and professional. Simul Gaming. 2010;42(1):9–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Weaver SJ, Salas E, Lyons R, Lazzara EH, Rosen MA, Diazgranados D, et al. Simulation-based team training at the sharp end: a qualitative study of simulation-based team training design, implementation, and evaluation in healthcare. J Emerg Trauma Shock. 2010;3(4):369–77.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Arreola RA. Writing learning objectives 1998 [cited 2016 September 17]. Available from: https://www.uwo.ca/tsc/graduate_student_programs/pdf/LearningObjectivesArreola.pdf.

  31. Seropian MA. General concepts in full scale simulation: getting started. Anesth Analg. 2003;97(6):1695–705.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Salas E, Cannon-Bowers JA. The science of training: a decade of progress. Annu Rev Psychol. 2001;52:471–99.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Nguyen N, Watson WD, Dominguez E. An event-based approach to design a teamwork training scenario and assessment tool in surgery. J Surg Educ. 2016;73(2):197–207.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Dieckmann P, Lippert A, Glavin R, Rall M. When things do not go as expected: scenario life savers. Simul Healthc. 2010;5(4):219–25.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Rudolph JW, Simon R, Raemer DB, Eppich WJ. Debriefing as formative assessment: closing performance gaps in medical education. Acad Emerg Med. 2008;15(11):1010–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Paris CR, Salas E, Cannon-Bowers JA. Teamwork in multi-person systems: a review and analysis. Ergonomics. 2000;43(8):1052–75.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Dieckmann P, Rall M. Designing a scenario as a clinical experience: the TuPASS scenario script. In: Kyle R, Murray WB, editors. Clinical simulation: operations, engineering, and management. 1st ed. Burlington: Academic Press; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Simulation Scenario Development Template [Internet]. University of Washington Center for Health Sciences Interprofessional Education, Research and Practice; [updated February 23, 2017; cited 2017 May 11]. Available from: https://depts.washington.edu/chsierp/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MedSurg_Ortho_Uro_2017_02_23_LB.pdf.

  39. Benishek LE, Lazzara EH, Gaught WL, Arcaro LL, Okuda Y, Salas E. The template of events for applied and critical healthcare simulation (TEACH Sim): a tool for systematic simulation scenario design. Simul Healthc. 2015;10(1):21–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Scenario Template [Internet]. University of California Irvine: UC Irvine Medical Education Simulation Center, UC Regents; 2014 [cited 2017 May 11]. Available from: http://sites.uci.edu/medsim/files/2015/03/UCI-Scenario-template.docx.

  41. Haji FA, Cheung JJ, Woods N, Regehr G, de Ribaupierre S, Dubrowski A. Thrive or overload? The effect of task complexity on novices' simulation-based learning. Med Educ. 2016;50(9):955–68.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Fraser KL, Ayres P, Sweller J. Cognitive load theory for the design of medical simulations. Simul Healthc. 2015;10(5):295–307.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Kyle R, Murray WB. Simulation scenario: telling the story – discussing the story. In: Kyle R, Murray WB, editors. Clinical simulation: operations, engineering, and management. 1st ed. Burlington: Academic Press; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Gaba DM, Fish KJ, Howard SK, Burden AR. Teaching anesthesia crisis resource management. In: Gaba DM, Fish KJ, Howard SK, Burden AR, editors. Crisis management in anesthesiology. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders; 2015. p. 54–64.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Torsher L, Craigo P. Simulation in anesthesiology. In: Levine A, Samuel DJ, Schwartz AD, Sim AJ, editors. The comprehensive textbook of healthcare simulation. New York: Springer; 2014. p. 257–87.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Hokanen A. SPA simulation workshop: designing your own scenario. Society for Pediatric Anesthesia 2012 Winter.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Educational Summary Report Template: Simulated cases. MedEdPORTAL Publications. 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Focus on: Making crisis simulations matter [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2017 May 11]. Available from: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/risk/us-risk-focus-making-crisis-simulations-matter-031615.PDF.

  49. Dubrowski A, Alani S, Bankovic T, Crowe A, Pollard M. Writing technical reports for simulation in education for health professionals: suggested guidelines. Cureus. 2015;7(11):e371.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  50. Gaba DM. The future vision of simulation in health care. Quality Safety Health Care. 2004;13(suppl_1):i2–i10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Stegmann K, Pilz F, Siebeck M, Fischer F. Vicarious learning during simulations: is it more effective than hands-on training? Med Educ. 2012;46(10):1001–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Martin T, McIntosh CA. Preeclampsia in the delivery suite: a simulation scenario. Simul Healthc. 2013;8(3):183–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Bajaj K, Minors A, Walker K, Meguerdichian M, Patterson M. Simul Healthc. 2018; https://doi.org/10.1097/SIH.0000000000000301. [Epub ahead of print].

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Beaubien JM, Baker DP. The use of simulation for training teamwork skills in health care: how low can you go? Qual Saf Health Care. 2004;13(Suppl 1):i51–6.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  55. Brydges R, Carnahan H, Rose D, Rose L, Dubrowski A. Coordinating progressive levels of simulation fidelity to maximize educational benefit. Acad Med. 2010;85(5):806–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA

    Y. Melissa Chan

  2. Center for Critical Care Medicine, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Jeremy T. Rainey

  3. Graham Clinical Performance Center, University of Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Anesthesiology and Medical Education, Chicago, IL, USA

    Christine S. Park

Authors
  1. Y. Melissa Chan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jeremy T. Rainey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christine S. Park
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Y. Melissa Chan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and West Hospitals, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s & Roosevelt Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Bryan Mahoney

  2. Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Rebecca D. Minehart

  3. Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    May C. M. Pian-Smith

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Chan, Y.M., Rainey, J.T., Park, C.S. (2020). Essentials of Scenario Building. In: Mahoney, B., Minehart, R., Pian-Smith, M. (eds) Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation: Anesthesiology . Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26849-7_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26849-7_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-26848-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-26849-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation