Gain confidence in anesthesia delivery with simulation training

Sponsored content by Midmark Animal Health 

Anesthesia delivery can be stressful for care teams, particularly if they lack confidence in their abilities. It’s understandable that many are hesitant to improve their anesthesia skills in a real care setting because of the potential impact on patient outcomes. However, the key to mastering anesthesia protocols is through practice. 

To help your team build anesthesia skills in a safe learning environment, without putting real patients at risk, consider the benefits of simulation training. Used across many industries to improve critical decisionmaking, simulation training can help your team improve skills and gain confidence in handling a variety of anesthesia-related situations without the stress of patient harm. 

Practice in a realistic environment 

Although there are different approaches to anesthesia training, simulation is an exceptional interactive learning opportunity that realistically mimics patient responses to a variety of clinical scenarios.  

Seek a curriculum that incorporates practical applications and clinical situations that represent real-life scenarios. As different anesthetic complications arise, your team will be tasked with responding in real time as the “patient’s” vital signs adjust to mimic clinical events. 

Training modules, especially those that are developed by accredited specialists in veterinary anesthesia and offer RACE-approved credit, help enhance team communications and support critical thinking and sound medical responses to stressful situations.   

Empower your team with a next-level experience 

A simulation workshop conducted at your facility with your equipment can provide an invaluable experience for your team. A clinical instructor will guide your team through the anesthesia skills simulation, then conduct a debriefing session to review decisionmaking. Feedback enables your team to identify strengths, pinpoint areas for improvement, and collaborate on approaches to solve common anesthetic challenges. By learning together, your team can enhance anesthesia proficiency, monitoring, and equipment use. 

Increase confidence in anesthetic delivery 

When anesthetic equipment and education help you identify and prevent the most common errors that lead to anesthetic complications, you’ll have the support you need to better care for your patients while they are under anesthesia.  

Whether a medical procedure is necessary or elective, the fear of anesthesia should never be a reason for your team to hesitate in recommending a treatment that is essential to the patient’s overall health. 

Regardless of your level of experience, there is always an opportunity to refresh, polish or improve your anesthesia delivery skills—to help your team work more cohesively while performing anesthetic procedures and to support better outcomes for patients. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed, and topics discussed, in any NEWStat column or article are intended to inform, educate, or entertain, and do not represent an official position by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or its Board of Directors.