Table 5 Similarities and differences by groups and countries
Differences within a group across all countries | ||
Learners, all countries | Facilitators, all countries | Facilitator trainers, all countries |
• Creates a safe learning atmosphere • Makes people feel comfortable • Runs the scenario without interruptions • Facilitates group discussion • Gives constructive feedback • Communicates knowledge and ideas well | • Facilitates group discussions • Gives non-judgemental feedback • Explores decision making process | • Leads different learners with different characteristics through the whole cycle of experiential and reflective learning. |
Exemplary citations | ||
“Someone, who is able to write good scenarios. Should have basic medical knowledge. Should be able to make student emotionally and mentally safe. Provide comfortable environment (e.g. ice-breaking, giving enough time to get familiar with the environment). Should not make complicated scenarios. Must not lead students to experience bad patient outcome.” K13-FT “They can crack a joke and you need to make people comfortable.” AU2-L “So, I think to be able to kind of gently nudge somewhat reluctant participants to fully immerse themselves in it is also a good quality to have in an instructor. AU2-L | “So, you want the teacher to be somebody that recognises your mistakes, but doesn’t make you feel bad about them, so non-judgemental I’d call it.” AU2-F “Someone, who is trying to listen to the students carefully. Who is prepared well in advance and is able to run the scenario systematically and smoothly.” K9-F “Sometimes in the lectures during the courses, we have some topics […] like clinical decision making. […] And when we then have scenarios, where [participants] take many decisions, we sometimes do not relate at all what they just heard [in the lecture] and where participants might think ‘what is going on here?’ where there is not a real connection between the different parts. It is important that we describe such connections and that we build on each other’s work.” DK29-F | “Not sure, how to formulate that, but we are all trained professionals and have learned the same. But as persons are, we are very different. And maybe there is some super-smart people, who like to be “on”, whereas other prefer to basically stand in the corner as observers in all the scenarios.” DK-33-FT |
Differences for groups in each country | ||
Australia, all groups | Denmark, all groups | Korea, all groups |
• Is a good team player • Is humble • Has a good sense of humour • Is approachable • Is confident in oneself • Is Non-judgemental • Gently pushes the trainee out of their comfort zone • Facilitates group discussion | • Is enthusiastic • Is approachable • Has a good sense of humour • Runs a scenario with structure and flexibility • Creates a safe learning atmosphere | • Is formally trained in simulation- based learning • Is creative • Accepts others • Considers feelings • Is a good listener • Creates a comfortable atmosphere • Does not criticise |
Exemplary citations | ||
“I feel much more likely to be focused in paying attention and taking away messages from people in the scenarios if I feel like, yeah, this person I think they give good anaesthetic. They know what they’re doing, they’ve read the recent evidence, they’re presenting information which makes sense which I can relate to in my clinical practice” AU8-L “That you [as facilitator] admit your fallibility I guess, and that might come up in a discussion about something or – so again they don’t feel like you’re trying to be seen as an infallible expert and everything, because that makes it easier for them to kind of learn and discuss things.” AU6-FT | “It is also important that facilitators signal that that they are open for questions, that it is a forum to ask questions and not just the lecture part and then ‘goodbye’.” DK1-L “So, you should really signal ‘I want this simulation here, I enjoy this as well – I am really happy to be in this situation together with you’.” DK27-F “I think also you need this basic curiosity, an interest in other human beings. I believe a lot of this you can learn, but I also think, you recognize quickly–also in experienced facilitators, who dig deeper during a debriefing, until they got, what they wanted to hear and then just proceed. Where you could have stayed a while longer with the topic, if you really would have been interested in what participants say.” DK33-FT | “As a student, I don’t like being pointed out about my mistakes during the debriefing session. Instructors could consider students’ feelings and try to talk without blaming. Without bias, instructors should be able to deliver objective facts or information.” K3-L “An instructor should have abundant experiences and specialized and deep knowledge. It would be good if an instructor has official certificate.” K6-L |
Similarities within a group across all countries and all groups | ||
• Is knowledgeable • Has the relevant clinical expertise • Is adequately prepared • Manages time well • Is flexible | ||
Exemplary citations | ||
“The scenarios particularly will go off track and [you have to] work out how to bring scenarios back onto track and that’s a tough thing. […] There’s nearly always a way that you can save face or bring the scenario back where you want to go, but you need that flexibility in terms of what cue that’s not written into the scenario can we add at this point to get them back on track.” AU19-FT “Then I said ‘they’ve got to be able to be flexible and know how to utilise the resources and the people in the sim centre, not just come along and be passengers, but actually think about how does a course run well, not just how does my session run well that some people almost manage to do our course by not thinking about what needs to happen. It’s a logistical challenge running a course and people don’t–The good instructors are on to that.” AU19-FT | ||