1. Introduction
The Faculty Advancement in Simulation Training (FAST) programme has been developed in the West of Scotland with the principle aim of providing a robust continuing professional development (CPD) programme for faculty involved in simulation-based education (SBE) (1).
It is aligned to the Clinical Skills Managed Educational Network (CSMEN) online SBE 3 tier programme (2) as it has been designed in Scotland. Each tier represents a logical progression as experience is gained and progress is gauged against a set of descriptors for each stage. These online modules are used as additional resources (3), which can be accessed by anyone in the UK through the TURAS learning platform.
In keeping with the inter-professional ethos of the West of Scotland Simulation Collaborative, the FAST programme has been designed and developed by an inter-professional group of simulation educators. Participation in the programme is open to all medical, nursing, and allied health professionals who act as faculty in SBE and is free at the point of access.
Delivering SBE is complex and requires a specific set of skills which are drawn from:
- traditional teaching techniques
- psychological methods
- adult learning theories
- the use of equipment of different modalities (part task trainer, manikin, patient actor)
- clinical experience
It is recognised that development of these skills represents a journey for the simulation-based educator; this programme creates a structured plan of CPD from novice to expert (4).
This manual contains a series of workshop plans to help faculty guide others through the concepts of SBE. The workshop model maximises the germane learning (5) through managing the overall intrinsic load required for progression. Each workshop, centres on a specific element of SBE and is supported by pre-workshop material. This manual should be used in conjunction with faculty expertise and other resources.
