SiTEL Mock Drills Hone Skills, Help Craft Policy

When Perinatal Nurse Educator Lisa Hulvey, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, comes up with an idea for an educational exercise that can reaffirm best practice or help the team identify ways to improve current practice, she contacts the MedStar Simulation Training & Education Lab (SiTEL) team to design and implement a drill. 

Hulvey also works with the MedStar Obstetrical Simulation Team (MOST), which is affiliated with SiTEL, to develop quarterly obstetrical drills, such as a Code Stork scenario where a birth is taking place outside of Labor and Delivery. 

These drills help to evaluate aspects of practice such as teamwork, available resources, and response times.  The drills conclude with a de-briefing meeting to discuss the exercise, which Hulvey says is the most important aspect of the drill.

“This is one of the great benefits of being a part of MedStar,” says Hulvey.  “SiTEL has always been there for me, taking my vision and creating realistic scenarios, using both mannequins and actors, and running the drills really well, so participants can see a realistic scenario and process through what we’re supposed to do.”

Hulvey says that not only do the drills help improve care, they have also been used to craft policy when they are run during the development phase of hospital policy.

Cheryl Camacho, NRP, Manager, EMS Certifications & Programs, Clinical Education & Experiential Learning with SiTEL, also works with MedStar Southern Maryland on other drills, such as Code Blue, or Cardiac Arrest drills, which also measure skill and response times.

“We look at timed responses,” says Camacho.  “How quickly was CPR started?  Was the first drug administered within five minutes?  And overall, we look at teamwork and communication.”