VHA SimLEARN
Mobile simulation team conducts musculoskeletal training in Wisconsin and Michigan
By Kristen Hanten, RN, MSN and Lisa Hubbard, ARNP
Mobile Simulation Training Team
OMAHA, Neb. – SimLEARN’s Mobile Simulation Training Team (MSTT) mission is to maximize training capacities at the local-facility level by bringing simulation-based training to health care facilities. During July 23 – 26 and July 29 – Aug. 4, MSTT completed Musculoskeletal (MSK) knee and shoulder course training at the VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain, Michigan; and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) in Rhinelander, Wisconsin; and Marquette, Michigan; as well as an outreach clinic in Manistique, Michigan.
This face-to-face simulation training is designed to enhance primary care providers’ knowledge, skills and confidence to manage common MSK problems. In addition, this training emphasizes appropriate resource utilization and access to specialty care. MSK complaints account for approximately 20 percent of visits to primary care and urgent care clinics each year. The target audience for this training includes physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants which staff primary care clinics and CBOCs. However, with patients presenting more frequently to urgent care and emergency departments with MSK complaints, this training can be quite valuable for these providers as well.
Material was presented by Dr. Adam Highley, Dr. Paul Miller, Dr. Lee Morrow and Lisa Hubbard, ARNP. A combination of didactic portion focusing on exam and pathophysiology was performed, followed by hands-on practice with the instructors becoming the standardized patients (SPs). The training was conducted in two separate blocks of time starting with the shoulder, and then the knee.
Positive comments from the learners included, “… very effective for learning,” “these courses are focused, practical and usable,” “absolutely outstanding, the course exceeded my expectations,” “loved the hands-on models, this helped advance my learning,” and “that course definitely makes a difference in my practice. I was able to perform the exam, diagnose and explain an infraspinatus partial tear to a Veteran today …”
MSTT expands the link between the VHA SimLEARN National Simulation Center in Orlando, Florida as a hub for VAMCs, outpatient facilities and CBOCs for health care delivery. The team not only conducts mobile delivery of on-site training for staff, it also conducts simulation-based process improvement evaluations that produce risk identification reports for quality improvement to improve the delivery of care for Veterans. It trains health care providers on site to minimize the impact clinical training has on services provided to Veterans. MSTT also provides clinical expertise and training equipment required to support simulation-based training at rural or remote VHA clinical facilities and provides increased training opportunities to the clinical workforce to improve skills and Veteran patient outcomes.
For more information about MSTT, click here.
SimLEARN course offerings are here.
To learn more about simulation training, click here.
To learn more about SimLEARN, click here.
