High-Fidelity Simulation With Debriefing: Best Practice Education for Flight Nurses?

Objective: High-fidelity simulation with debriefing has been shown to be effective in maintaining high-risk, low-volume proficiencies in nursing. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to implement high-fidelity simulation with debriefing to measure improvements in flight nurse skill acuity and retention when performing intubations.

Methods: This was a prospective evidence-based project conducted before and after a debriefing intervention that took place at HealthNet Aeromedical Services, Charleston, WV. Participants were flight nurses who were asked to intubate during a high-fidelity simulation session and participate in a debriefing session to reflect on their performance. They were then tested on 7-month skill retention. Eight subjects completed all stages of the study and were included in the analysis.

Results: The mean ± standard deviation time to successful intubation predebriefing was 26.9 ± 11.9 seconds; for postdebriefing, it was 24.8 ± 5.8 seconds. The mean ± standard deviation checklist score before debriefing was 7.9 ± 0.4 points, whereas for postdebriefing it was 9.4 ± 0.7 points.

Conclusion: The implementation of debriefing after simulation improved the time to intubation and produced better clinical judgment and mastery while performing the intubation.