Stroke Code Simulation for Medical Education

Abstract

Abstract This stroke code simulation was developed as an educational tool for neurology junior residents, emergency department residents, medical students, nurses, and any medical learners involved in stroke management. The goal is to offer hands-on practice in running a stroke code effectively and efficiently as leaders of a team, ensuring appropriate critical medical decision-making and patient care. Duration of the simulation is 20 minutes, with a minimum of 20 minutes dedicated to a debriefing. Standardized patients are utilized for role playing to enable presentation of neurologic deficits and use of the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale. Residents ideally participate in these simulations in groups of two or three, giving one person the opportunity to be the team leader running the stroke code and others to take the roles of team members. In addition, emergency medicine residents and intensive care unit nurses are included to act as confederates in the simulations and participate in the debrief. Debriefing sessions are held immediately after each simulation with intent of formative feedback using the “good judgment” and “advocacy inquiry” method. Pre- and postsimulation learner surveys help assess effectiveness and provide critical feedback for future considerations. Out of 13 participating neurology residents during our implementation, all agreed that these simulation sessions met the stated clinical objectives. All residents also agreed that the overall quality and utility of debriefing sessions were good. Approximately 84% agreed that the simulation experience was more useful than reading a chapter or attending a lecture about the clinical scenario. After completing the sessions, all surveyed residents agreed that they will be able to better facilitate future acute stroke care as compared to before the training.

Keywords

• Education
• Medical Education
• Medical
• Neurology
• Stroke Code Simulation
• Neurology Educational Tool