Teaching Crisis Resource Management Skills to Nurses Using Simulation

Abstract

Education programs teaching crisis resource management (CRM) skills (problem solving, situational awareness, resource utilization, communication, and leadership) have been shown to positively affect learner competence in handling crisis events. As part of an education program, a high-fidelity simulation program was used as a learning intervention to teach these skills to practicing nurses. In this repeated-measures observational study, 11 RNs were evaluated at four time points, measuring the effect of an education program on observed performance of CRM skills. Performance was measured using the Ottawa Global Rating Scale and a checklist tool. Statistically significant changes in mean scores occurred between times one and two, and nonstatistically significant improvement occurred in means overall. This study adds evidence of the effectiveness of high-fidelity simulation education and highlights the need for further research. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2020;51(6):257-266.].