Northumbria showcases simulation-based learning to Thai nursing experts

A delegation from Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has visited Northumbria University, Newcastle, to see how the University is using simulation-based education as a learning and teaching methodology in a variety of professional contexts.

Fifteen nurse educators from Boromarajonani College of Nursing, in southern Thailand, spent two weeks at Northumbria learning how to use simulation-based education as part of their healthcare education. They will share the knowledge and skills they have gained at the University with their own nursing students and nurse educators.

Simulation-based education is frequently used in healthcare teaching. It encompasses a broad range of methods from task training to develop specific skills to actor and manikin-based approaches. The latter includes patient simulators that can breathe and can display a range of altered cardiac and respiratory conditions. They can be programmed to simulate a range of illnesses frequently found in a healthcare setting.

Students can then practice and perform many skills and emergency procedures in a  safe environment, ensuring they are competent, safe and confident to deliver high quality care.

This is the third time that the delegation from Thailand have attended the two-week programme at Northumbria.

Professor Greta Defeyter, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Northumbria’s Health and Life Sciences faculty, said: “We have considerable expertise in the area of simulation-based education with many of our academics having national and international profiles in the development and delivery of this learning and teaching methodology.

“This also includes pedagogical research into this field. The clinical skills centre at Northumbria has been a centre of excellence for many years providing high quality state of the art simulation-based education.

“We also have a reputation for excellence in the delivery of simulation based education training for educators providing one to two day bespoke programmes, such as this, as well as degree and master’s level modules in simulation-based education.”

Soraya Niha Benyala, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at Boromarajonani College, said: “This is the first time that I’ve seen simulation-based education in the UK and I think the atmosphere for learning and teaching is fantastic at Northumbria. The equipment is of the highest quality and the support for staff who deliver simulation-based learning is very good.

“I have enjoyed the teaching very much and I will be taking a lot of what I have learned back to Thailand.”

In 2014, students voted Northumbria the UK’s Nurse Education Provider of the Year: Post-Registration, for the third year running at the Student Nursing Times Awards. Northumbria is the highest-ranking university in the North East for earnings in Nursing and ranks 20th out of 69 in the sector for male and female earnings five years after graduation.

For more information on nursing programmes at Northumbria, visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/nursing