Medical Science Education Research Articles

Identifying the Situation of Accountable Medical Science Education and Providing Implementation Solutions in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences from the Point of View of Experts in the Field of Education

Introduction: The importance of Accountable education and the necessity of its existence in medical sciences universities is so important that one of the major policies of transformation and innovation packages in medical sciences education is the institutionalization of the approach of responsive education in the health system. The aim of the current research was to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the field of medical science education and provide implementation solutions in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences.
 Methods: The present research was carried out qualitatively in two stages in 2021 at Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. At first, a review of literature in Persian and English databases was done, and in the second stage, 21 managers of the university education field were purposefully selected to participate in the expert panel, and then findings were theoretically saturated. Data analysis was done using the Kruger method.
 Results: In this study, strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in the field of responsive medical science education in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences were identified, and then implementation strategies to deal with the challenges using existing opportunities were investigated.
 Conclusion: Based on results the coordination and strengthening of the common attitude between the different vice-chancellors of the university and staff managers, the revision of the curriculum and training programs, the emergence of a common understanding of the concepts of accountability in medical science education among the various stakeholders and determining sufficient motivations in the university can provide the basis for improving social accountability in medical science education.

Integration of respiratory physiology and clinical reasoning in the early years of a medical curriculum: engaging with students in a large classroom setting.

Medical graduates are expected to apply scientific principles and explain the processes underlying common and important diseases. Evidence shows that integrated medical curricula, which deliver biomedical science within the context of clinical cases, facilitate student learning in preparation for practice. However, research has also shown that the student's perception of their knowledge can be lower in integrated compared to traditional courses. Thus the development of teaching methods to support both integrated learning and build student confidence in clinical reasoning is a priority. In this study, we describe the use of an audience response system to support active learning in large classes. Sessions, delivered by medical faculty from both academic and clinical backgrounds, were designed to build on the knowledge of the respiratory system in both health and disease through the interpretation of clinical cases. Results showed that student engagement was high throughout the session and students strongly agreed that the application of knowledge to real-life cases was a better way to understand clinical reasoning. Qualitative free text comments revealed that students liked the link between theory and practice and the active, integrated method of learning. In summary, this study describes a relatively simple but highly effective way of delivering integrated medical science teaching, in this case respiratory medicine, to improve student confidence in clinical reasoning. This educational approach was applied within the early years of the curriculum in preparation for teaching within a hospital setting, but the format could be applied across many different settings.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The development of teaching methods that support integrated learning and build student confidence is a priority. An audience response system was used to engage early year medical students in large classes in preparation for teaching within a hospital setting. Results showed high levels of student engagement and a greater appreciation for the link between theory and practice. This study describes a simple, active, and integrated method of learning that improves student confidence in clinical reasoning.

Comparative Study on the Clinical Manifestations of Left and Right-Sided Stroke Survivors in University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospitals, Ondo

Stroke is a global issues that accounts for most death in humans. It is a type of acquired brain injury that can result in long-term impairments to cognitive, affective, motor, sensory, and language functions. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical signs of stroke survivors who had suffered right- and left-sided strokes. The National Institute of Health stroke scale was used to record the demographics, stroke side, stroke severity, physical (motor, sensory, and autonomic) and cognitive functions, quantitative and qualitative speech function, and social functions. The result showed that the mean duration of onset of left and right-sided stroke patients was 8.57 ± 7.77 and 5.43 ± 4.50 months while the mean stage of recovery of left and right-sided stroke patients were 2.55 ± 1.13 and 3.3 ± 0.49 on Brunstrom grading. There was significant difference in the level of consciousness (t = 1.73, p= 0.05), visual loss (t = 2.39, p = 0.04), limbs motor function (t = -6.31, p = 0.00 and t = -6.69, p = 0.00, t = -5.29, p = 0.00, and t = 7.85, p = 0.00 respectively). There were also significant differences in the best language (aphasia) (t = 2.92, p = 0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the dysarthria and total NHIS score between the left and right-sided stroke participants. There were significant differences in some sub-scale scores on the NHIS Scale between the left and right-sided stroke participants, although, there were no significant differences in the dysarthria and overall NIHSS score of the two groups of stroke survivors.

Practices and Challenges of Pain Management During First Stage of Labour Among Midwives in University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complex, Akure

Most women perceive labour pain and childbirth as the most severe and agonizing event in a woman’s life. Midwives play critical role in supporting women through the painful birthing process, to the desired favourable outcomes for mother and baby. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the practices and challenges of pain management during the initial stage of labour among midwives at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complex in Akure. From July to October 2021, a facility-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 72 midwives employed at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complex in Akure. The first stage of labour pain management practices and challenges were evaluated among the study participants using a questionnaire. SPSS (version 23.0) was used in processing the data. In the first stage of labour, environmental pain management approach was shown to be the most used (95.4%), followed by psychospiritual pain management approach (91%); while the least employed was the pharmacological approach (63.4%). Effectiveness of the approaches were perceived to be in the following order: psychospiritual, environmental, physical, pharmacological and social. Lack of resources (84.7%) and understaffing (33.3%) were cited as part of the challenges associated with pain management. It is important for the government to provide adequate staff, equipment and conducive birthing environments; while the midwives continually educate patients on available non-pharmacological and pharmacological labour pain management approaches during their prenatal care visits, to enhance their self-efficacy and cooperation in labour.

Group for Research in Pathology Education at the International Association of Medical Science Educators (GRIPE@IAMSE): Working as a Team for Integration, 51th Annual Meeting, 2022, Denver, CO.

Group for Research in Pathology Education at the International Association of Medical Science Educators (GRIPE@IAMSE): Working as a Team for Integration, 51th Annual Meeting, 2022, Denver, CO.

Student opinions about the training set consists of smart interactive mockups and application program used in anatomy and histology education

Technology integration into education fits today's student profile and brings a new breath to education. The number of studies using technology in medicine and health education has increased. The study aims to get the opinions of students who use the education set we have patented, designed to be used in primary medical sciences education. The research data were collected using the semi-structured interview forms of the "Structured Student Introduction Form" and "The Opinions of the Health Sciences Nursing Department Students on the Training Set Consists of Smart Interactive Mockup and Application Program." This qualitative study used descriptive analysis to evaluate the data obtained. Student opinions determined that there were positive effects on student motivation, interest in the lesson, and understanding of the lesson by integrating technology into health and medical education. It was determined that the education set had the same effects but had aspects that needed improvement. Considering student experiences and constantly renewed technological applications, we think that improving the features of the education set we have patented will bring a new perspective to health and medical education.

An Estimation of Haemoglobin Variants Among Patients Attending A Tertiary Hospital In South West Nigeria

Background: Globally, hemoglobinopathies, which are genetic diseases of hemoglobin production, are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. African communities make up a sizable portion of the population that is susceptible to a variety of erythrocyte genetic and homological illnesses. Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence and spectrum of hemoglobin variants among patients attending a tertiary hospital in South West Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The study research was conducted at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo State Southwest Nigeria. Respondents were recruited from the hospital department clinics and tested at Department of Haematology, Faculty of basic medical science. Blood will be drawn via venipuncture into tubes that had been treated with the anticoagulant ethylene diamine tetracetic acid (EDTA) Results: The study show the frequency and gender distribution of different forms of haemoglobin (Hb) among the subjects; Hb AA 264; HbAS 60; HbAC 6; HbSC 8 and HbSS 12. Of the 350 subjects studied, 106 were males, while 244 were females. Among the male subjects, 85 were HbAA, 12 were HbAS; 2 were HbAC; 3 were HbSC and 4 were HbSS. Among the female subjects, 179 were HbAA, 48 were HbAS; 4 were HbAC; 5 were HbSC and 8 were HbSS. The study shows the frequency of the fetal hemoglobin among the Hb SS patients in the study based on age range. 50% of the participants with fetal hemoglobin were between 10-15 years, 25% were between 16-20 years, 8.3% were between 21-25 years, 8.4% were between 31-35 years and 8.3 % were between 36-40 years Conclusion: The study showed increased prevalence of various hemoglobin variants. Awareness should be created at religious centers, schools on the importance of genotype testing. As a preventative precaution. We advise the implementation of mutation identification and carrier screening.

Evaluation of knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacovigilance among interns, postgraduates, and nurses in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. It is well established that the spontaneous reporting of ADR by the health-care professionals determines the success of a pharmacovigilance program, but not followed in practice. As the major reasons for the poor ADR reporting were said to be lack of awareness, training, and time, we did this study to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of nurses and junior doctors in our hospital towards ADR. Aims and Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacovigilance among interns, postgraduates, and nurses at Hassan Institute of Medical Science Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted among interns, postgraduates, and nurses working at Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, Hassan Karnataka. This validated questionnaire had 19 questions pertaining to knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacovigilance. Results: The questionnaire was sent to 120 interns, 89 postgraduates, and 375 nurses. Of which, 410 responded (70.2% response rate). Interns had better knowledge than postgraduates and nurses, but a good attitude was seen among all but comparatively better among the postgraduates. Still, the practice of ADR reporting is poor overall. Even though 74% of them came across ADR, only 32% managed to report them. Conclusion: This study found that even though knowledge regarding pharmacovigilance among the health-care professionals involved in the study is good, the rate of ADR reporting is very low. Taking advantage of their better attitude, adding a bit more education regarding its importance and training, ADR reporting can be very well improved.

Designing a conceptual model for dynamic empowerment of medical science education managers.

Educational managers at universities of medical sciences are the suppliers of human resources to the healthcare system. Thus, attention to their professional empowerment can play a prominent role in improving the quality of medical science education. The present study was implemented through the method of modeling and in the three stages of conceptual, modeling, and validation. The research environment was the medical science universities of Iran and the sampling method was purposive. The two qualitative approaches of literature review and semi-structured interview were used to develop the components of the model. The results were then integrated, the relationships between the components were investigated, and the model was eventually finalized. The resulting scores were analyzed using MicMac software. Twelve categories and 20 subcategories were identified in the first micro-study (desk research). Qualitative analysis of the interviews in the second stage led to the identification of 21 subcategories and seven categories. Components of the conceptual model were extracted from the results of the two first stages, both of which were aimed at the extraction of concepts relevant to dynamic empowerment of medical science educational managers, and the conceptual model for dynamic empowerment of medical science education managers was designed in the six categories of education, decision-making, organization, belief, dynamic capabilities, and environment after the interactions between the components were studied. Results of the present study revealed that dynamic empowerment of the managers is a multifaceted and multidimensional concept, and all of the factors incorporated in the conceptual model for dynamic empowerment of managers must receive special attention.

Basic medical sciences should be mainly taught by clinicians for a tight integration of basic and clinical sciences in medical education.

Today, medical education faces many problems. However, the most serious problem is the inability to integrate basic and clinical sciences. For this reason, students alienate from basic sciences, and clinicians are leaving sciences to basic scientists every day. Basic medical sciences learned in the preclinical term are remembered less by students and cannot be sufficiently associated with clinical reality. This is because basic scientific knowledge learned without a clinical framework is low-value data that the student does not know how to use. Therefore, all reform initiatives in the medical education curriculum stick to the obstacle of basic sciences. Now is the time to take bold steps. The first step should be to remove the preclinical term from medical education. Medical education should only consist of clinical education terms. This will gain the student and clinician a lot more time for clinical training. The second step should be to take basic sciences education from basic scientists and place it under the responsibility of clinicians. Clinicians can decide much better how much of basic science knowledge is clinically relevant. As a component of clinical education, it is best for students to internalize the basic sciences during classes, at the bedside, and in other clinical practices under the clinician's authority. Thus, students may be graduated as academic clinicians who have internalized the basic sciences and integrated the basic sciences with clinical reality.

The outcome of Transversus Abdominis Release for complex ventral hernia: A one-year of follow-up experience

Introduction: Transversus Abdominis Release is a noble technique for the repair of complex ventral hernia, where the posterior component separation allows a huge pre-peritoneal space advantageous for the placement of large-sized mesh. It has less wound morbidity as compared to anterior component separation due to the preservation of skin perforators. The main objective of this study was to evaluate one-year follow-up results in terms of recurrence, wound morbidity, and various techniques for managing complications of Transversus Abdominis Release. Methods: This is a descriptive crosssectional study that was conducted at the department of surgery, College of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital. Among 41 patients with complex ventral hernia, 34 patients met the inclusion criteria. Demographic data, intra-operative events like bleeding, operative duration, intraoperative complications, post-operative events like duration of hospital stay, wound morbidity, and follow-up data were analyzed. Results: Posterior rectus sheath closure at midline was possible in 30 (88.2%) patients. In patients, where posterior rectus sheath closure was not possible, the peritoneum of hernia sac was tailored to patch the defect or in some omentum was placed below the raw surface of mesh. The average operative duration and blood losses were 130±12 minutes and 301±133 ml respectively. The semilunar line injury occurred in one case that was diagnosed and repaired at the same time and the TAR plane was re-established. Wound morbidity occurred in three cases that were managed by dressing with commercially available collagen and mupirocin granule. No recurrence was observed in one-year follow-up. Conclusions: Transversus Abdominis Release has a better result with no recurrence in short term follow up and fewer complications which are easily manageable.

Study of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Towards HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infection among MBBS Preclinical Students in UCMS, Nepal

INTRODUCTION Knowledge, attitude and behavior of a medical professional play an important role in the quality of care that an HIV/AIDS positive person receives and in shaping their attitude towards the disease. Thus, it is important that medical students, who would be treating such persons in near future, have the appropriate knowledge and attitudes. This study explores both these factors among pre-clinical medical students in Nepal. MATERIAL AND METHODS A cross sectional study was carried out among 200 first and second year MBBS students at Universal College of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Nepal. A pre-tested, structured questionnaire was used to evaluate respondents’ knowledge towards of HIV causes and transmission and their attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and people living with it. RESULTS Knowledge among respondents was high overall and showed an improvement from first to second year. Some improvement areas regarding transmission from lactating mother to infant, transmission via sweat, kissing etc and infant’s BCG vaccination management were found. Respondent’s attitudes too were generally positive but with some significant stigmatizing notions such as isolation and entry bans of HIV positive people. CONCLUSION Knowledge of pre-clinical MBBS students is generally high though there are some improvement areas in HIV transmission. The attitude too is positive overall with a small minority holding stigmatizing views. Progression from first to second year has a positive impact on both knowledge and attitudes.

OUTCOME OF RENAL TRAUMA IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTER OF NEPAL: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Background: Management of renal trauma has evolved over past decades from surgical exploration to renal preservation. Conservative management of high-grade renal trauma is possible due to advancement in imaging modality, dedicated critical care and availability of selective embolization. The objective to this research was to analyze the demographics, characteristics and management of renal trauma in our institution. Methods: All patient who were admitted to College of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital with diagnosis of renal trauma from 2017 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Ethical approval was taken from institutional review committee of college of Medical Sciences. Data was collected from hospital medical records. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistical tools. For the categorical variable frequency and percentage was calculated while for continuous variables mean and standard deviation was calculated. Results: Sixty-three patients were included in this study and Median age of patient admitted with renal trauma was 31 years with male to female ratio of 7:3. Blunt renal trauma was the most common type (96.8 %) with Road traffic accidents responsible for the majority of mechanisms of injury 66.7% (42) followed by fall 11(17.5%). Majority of Renal trauma was in AAST Grade III 26(41.3%). Right sided renal injury was common 33 (52.4%) than left sided renal injury 30 (47.6%). Intervention was required in 9 patients. Conclusions: High-grade renal trauma can be managed conservatively in selected cases with close monitoring in critical care unit and with use of minimally invasive technique such as Selective angioembolization, Double J Ureteric stenting or Nephrostomy Insertion. But hemodynamically unstable patient after resuscitation warrants immediate surgical exploration.

Clinical Profile and Echocardiographic Changes in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes

INTRODUCTION The burden of type 2 diabetes is increasing in world and same is scenario in Nepal.The prevalence of T2DM in Nepal has increased from 2014 to 2020. T2DM is still a major cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality, due to its complications. A strong correlation between cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM) has been found. This study aimed to investigate echocardiographic features and clinical profile in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM. MATERIAL AND METHODS Our study included 100 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, presented to Medicine Department of Universal College of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Bhairahawa from 1st May, 2019 AD to 30th April 2020. We included type 2 diabetes diagnosed as per American diabetes association 2018 criteria. RESULTS Males (52%) were more compared to females (44%). 28% were in age group 61-70 years, 26% in age group 41-50 years and 25% in age group 51-60 years. Abnormal thirst 42%, polyuria 38% and weight loss 32% were most common presenting symptoms with 23% having all 3 symptoms. Fifty two percent were smokers, 22% consumed alcohol, 48% had HTN and 23% cases had CAD. Fourty two cases (42%) had Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, 25 cases (25%) had Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), 16 cases (16%) had RWMA others had RA/RV dilated and dilated LV/LA. CONCLUSION LVDD was most common echocardiographic finding in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Ethics Education in Medical Sciences; A National Descriptive Survey.

Background: Historically, teaching medical ethics was always an important educational objective; however, the educational strategies to fulfill this goal varied in different times and areas. In the past two decades, teaching ethics has become an important part of the core curriculum of medical sciences in IRAN; however, ethics is relatively a newcomer to the undergraduate curriculum of medical sciences. This study aimed to evaluate the current status of teaching ethics in medical sciences in Iran. Methods: This descriptive survey was quantitatively conducted in two phases; evaluation of the curricula and syllabus of all undergraduate programs and surveying medical ethics teaching in all medical universities and/or schools using a questionnaire. The course title, content, hours (units), the recommended references, the teaching and students' assessment methods, and the information of ethics teachers were reviewed and analyzed. Results: The study showed some features about the current status of ethics teaching in medical sciences, including 1) no incorporation of ethics in 10 BS and MSc curricula; 2) different course titles, course contents and course units in similar programs; 3) non-adherence to the curriculum in terms of the core content, the references, and teaching and assessment methods; 4) non-adherence to the ethics core content especially in medical, dentistry, and pharmacy schools; 5) lack of qualified ethics teachers; and 6) no horizontal or vertical integration in ethics teaching. Conclusion: Taken together, to overcome shortcomings in teaching ethics, the authors suggest a four-phase approach for strengthening and reforming ethics education in medical sciences including determining the core content for ethics teaching by experts consensus, revising curricula in all undergraduate programs of medical sciences, training ethics teachers, and amending infrastructures for teaching ethics.

A Study of Anatomy Teachers' Perception and Acceptance of the Anatomage Table Technology and Digital Teaching Materials in the Training of Medical and Allied Health Students.

The Anatomage Table is a modern technology that is used to enhance the teaching of human anatomyand related basic medical sciences to medical and allied health students. Its use is gaining popularity. This study considered anatomy teachers' perception and acceptance of the Anatomage Table technology and digital teaching materials in the training of medical and allied health students in African countries. Validated questionnaires were used. Altogether, 79 respondents fully participated in the study, with all African regions being represented as follows: Ghana, Nigeria (West Africa), Ethiopia Kenya Rwanda (East Africa), Namibia, South Africa, Zambia (Southern Africa), Egypt (North Africa), and Sudan (Central Africa). Responses were obtained from the electronic Google form, organized on Excel spreadsheets, and analyzed using the SPSS statistical software version 23.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY). In terms of proportion, 29.1% of respondents reported that they had some level of mastery in using the Anatomage Table; with 6.3% of all the participants reportedly having a high mastery of this technology, 12% and 6% reported that they had an average mastery and low mastery levels, respectively.Participants' rating of their level of agreement with whether the Anatomage Table is a useful EdTech showed that 54.4% of them strongly agreed while 27.8% just agreed. The majority considered the use of the Anatomage as a means of embracing the global culture of technology-in-medical sciences (87.3%). Most respondents would accept the technology as a complementary tool to support the existing traditional practices, especially cadaveric.

Teaching students to mentor: Near-peer mentoring in undergraduate medical radiation science education

Mentoring is emphasised as a professional requirement by national bodies which administer the registration of new graduate medical radiation professionals. ‘Near-peer’ mentoring, where the mentor and mentee are similar in social or professional status, has the potential to develop necessary mentoring skills and attitudes in the undergraduate setting. This is in addition to the positive benefits experienced by the mentee, who is beginning to navigate the university environment. In this educational perspective, the concept and value of near-peer mentorship within undergraduate medical radiation curriculum is discussed. Based on the literature, recommendations and strategies are described for educators looking to implement near-peer mentoring programs within their universities or healthcare institutions.

Design science research application in medical radiation science education: A case study on the evaluation of a developed artifact

Design Science Research (DSR) combines quantitative and qualitative approaches for educational research. One of the critical steps of DSR is the evaluation phase. In this phase, the artifact's utility, fitness, and usefulness are noted and reviewed. Since the DSR applied to health science is limited, this paper aims to present the evaluation phase of a study that developed an artifact for training student radiographers in chest pattern recognition. The artifact which is described in detail elsewhere by Mdletshe et al. [1], was developed as a tailor-made solution in medical radiation sciences education (MRSE), using DSR. During the evaluation of the artifact, the System Usability Scale (SUS) was used for the quantitative evaluation of the artifact. Meanwhile, the qualitative approach was performed using a hierarchy of qualitative criteria based on a review of multiple sources. This study demonstrated the DSR key concepts of the evaluation phase applied to health science. The presented case will help to demonstrate the implementation of the evaluation phase in a research project in health sciences (MRSE).

‘Step up’: utilising simulation to assist in the transition from medical senior house officer to registrar

Core medical training was replaced by Internal Medicine Training (IMT) in August 2019. One of the more notable changes was the introduction of a 3 We created an in-person teaching day, entitled ‘Step up’, which consisted of four 20-minute, IM3 specific, high-fidelity scenario-based simulations. In each scenario, a computerised full-body manikin (SimMan Essential) was used. The manikin could be programmed to provide physiological response to scenario participants’ actions. The participants were each tasked to assess an acutely deteriorating patient (the manikin), whilst managing a demanding bleep to add realistic distractions and human factor issues to the scenario. Each participant completed one scenario and watched their peers complete the others from a separate room. Following this, participants were debriefed by qualified member of staff and then taught by a speciality registrar or consultant. Feedback forms were collected. The participants were tasked to rate the simulation day, using a nominal Likert scale from 1 to 10, for usefulness, relevance, clarity, and overall quality. 1 represented strong disagreement and 10 strong agreements with a particular domain. Across 4 full days, we had 11 IM3 doctors take part in the ‘step up’ scenario-based simulations. 9 of the 11 participants completed feedback forms. Scores ranged from 8 to 10. Median scores for all domains were 10. We have demonstrated that ‘step up’ scenarios are a useful and relevant aid for those transitioning into IM3. Further research utilising comparative data will provide more meaningful conclusions. We will be repeating the simulation programme for the next cohort. We will have baseline, one and three-month follow up questionnaires to assess these scenarios further. 1. Buist N, Webster CS. Simulation training to improve the ability of first-year doctors to assess and manage deteriorating patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medical Science Educator. 2019;29(3):749–761.

‘We are the (simulation) champions – evaluating the role of simulation champions to enrich the diversity of simulation practice placements within higher education institutions undergraduate healthcare programmes’

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant impact on undergraduate healthcare practice placement education [1]. In response, the Scottish Government, committed to ensuring Adult and Mental Health Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedic Science students have adequate provision to student placements, awarded Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) funding to develop simulation placements. Within our HEI a Clinical Skills and Simulation Team (CSST) has been created comprising 3 Lecturers, a Simulation Technician, and a Digital Technologist. The team then built a Simulation Champions group (n=30) through fostering working relationships, to help promote simulation-based education (SBE) pedagogy across the HEI. The purpose of this study is to explore whether creating a simulation champions group has any impact on the delivery of simulated practice placements within undergraduate healthcare programmes. The Simulation Champions are a diverse group comprised of internal academic faculty and external National Health Service (NHS) partners (such as practice education facilitators) who are passionate educators in SBE. Each external partner has a contact within the HEI, aligned to their area of clinical expertise. Through an agreed Terms of Reference, their aim is to enhance, resource, and assist the delivery of high-quality, high-fidelity simulation placements to students by working collaboratively in line with the relevant professional body standards and proficiencies [2]. The CSST oversee the Simulation Champions, providing strategic direction, leadership, following the HEI strategy [3], and support the delivery of Simulation Placements. The group meets every quarter to discuss simulation practices, explore Continuous Professional Development (CPD) opportunities, and share knowledge and learning. The impact of this team will be measured through staff and student reflection using a framework to objectively analyse scenario diversity, achievement of learning outcomes, and alignment to professional body proficiencies. Following ethical approval, a group of Year 1 Adult Nursing students (n=60) will have completed a 40-hour Simulated Practice Placement designed and delivered by Simulation Champions (n=10). This study will then evaluate and conclude whether there is a need to create and develop a diverse, multi-professional Simulation Champions Group before successful Simulated Practice Placements can be achieved. It will also help determine if securing strong working relationships ensures a smooth transfer of knowledge and skills from clinical practice to the simulation setting within a HEI, and if all of this enhances the student experience. 1. Caplan J, Clements R, Chadwick C, Kadirgamar J, Morgan J, Rao A. Medical education in 2020: developing COVID secure undergraduate hospital placements. Medical Science Educator. 2020;30(4):1677–83. 2. NMC 2018a, 2018b, 2018c, 2018d: Nursing and Midwifery Council. The Code. Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. Nursing and Midwifery Council. Realising professionalism: Standards for education and training. Part 3: Standards for pre-registration midwifery programmes. Nursing and Midwifery Council. Realising professionalism: Standards for education and training. Part 3: Standards for pre-registration nursing programmes. 3. University of the West of Scotland. Strategy 2025. 2020. uws-strategy-2025.pdf. [Accessed on 25/01/2022]