| Summary: | An in-depth study was carried out with a view t compile recommendations for the use
of clinical simulation as enhancement of undergraduate medical education and training
at the University of the Free State. Clinical simulation plays an important role in the
development of clinical skills and competence, and in creating a safe environment
where students can learn without harm to patients while improving clinical reasoning
and multidisciplinary training. Clinical simulation must be fully integrated with the
curriculum, so that students can move between theory, simulation- and clinical training
continuously. Assessment of skills and competence is a key component in clinical
simulation-enhanced teaching and learning.
In this study, the potential of clinical simulation was investigated as enhancement of
undergraduate medical education and training. The extent to which clinical simulation
could address the problems related to a decreasing clinical training platform, change in
case mix and the demand for more health care professionals was investigated. Clinical
simulation was considered as a complementary asset to enhance teaching and learning
at the School of Medicine, UFS.
The research methods comprised literature reviews, semi-structured interviews, focus
group interviews, and observations during international visits.
The literature review provided a background for a conceptual framework and
contextualised the problem against related theory and research. Data were collected
by means of semi-structured interviews with international experts to gain expert
opinions on the use of simulation as teaching and learning tool, simulation-based
assessment and the establishment of a simulation centre. Focus group interviews with
lecturers and heads of departments at the UFS were conducted with the intent to
evaluate the personal opinions and attitudes of the participants on these issues. The compilation of recommendations for the use of clinical simulation to enhance
undergraduate medical education and training at the UFS and the planning and
implementation of a simulation centre was achieved with the aid of the data collected.
The premises, points of departure and role players were examined in order to make
recommendations in this regard.
The study originated from the recognition that a gap exists in the use of clinical
simulation in the education and training of medical students at the UFS, but also in
South Africa and the rest of Africa. To bridge the gap, the researcher compiled
educational recommendations for the integration of clinical simulation as a required
component and enhancement of the current curriculum. The development and
implementation of a new simulation centre for the UFS School of Medicine was
discussed in order to reach the goal of clinical simulation teaching and learning.
A valuable contribution to knowledge was made by providing recommendations for
developing and implementing a simulation centre for the School of Medicine, UFS. By
developing the strategy, the identified gap is bridged, in that it can aid in integrating
clinical simulation with current curricula, show how skills development and competence
of medical students can improve and provide pointers for simulation-based assessment
of medical students. Recommendations in this regard were made.
The sound research approach and methodology ensured quality, reliability and validity.
The completed research can form the basis for a further research undertaking.
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