Optimising simulation debriefing environments

Debriefing practices that encourage individuals to reflect and explore emotions and clinical reasoning are essential when preparing nursing and paramedicine participants for contemporary clinical practice1. There are no evaluated debriefing models currently used to guide paramedicine debriefers2. In nursing, models are available; however, the time spent debriefing emotions is often underutilised. In 2019, a group of 34 Australian nursing and paramedicine students (n = 20) and academics (n = 14) participated in a structured debrief that allowed equal time for debriefing emotions and clinical reasoning. Students chose to either act in the scenario or observe the simulation activity via real to time video. All academics observed the simulation activity with the student observer group. Students who acted in the simulation, were invited to reflect on and share their emotions in a 20 min debrief followed by 20 min in which the whole group were debriefed on clinical reasoning3. The qualitative study evaluated participant experiences of the debrief. Focus group data revealed four themes with an important emergent theme that students valued the time spent on debriefing emotions. Students reported the debrief would transform their future clinical practice. Academics were interested in learning the debriefing skills sets because they could see the benefit to student clinical practice.