What has been their key to success?

Westfields, through their "patient-centered" approach, understands successful, patient care starts with ensuring everyone is on the same page. The best way to build collaboration is through practice which is why Westfields employs simulation training regularly.

By being able to train for situations that mirror actual medical emergencies, individual, medical personnel learn how they need to work together, doing their specific tasks, for a positive outcome. The rarer an emergent situation, the more crucial that the members of the team are both confident in the team's ability to be successful and their role in the team.

But how does Simulation prepare each team member?

Quite simply. Through familiarization. Being put into a high-fidelity situation allows for trial and error in a safe and encouraging environment. But it goes further, as Meier explains, "Simulation has allowed us to go through the steps outlined in our workflows and policies as well as utilize our order sets." And, at the conclusion of the simulation, there is an opportunity to follow up with each other. "Everyone is involved, and everyone is learning," Meier shares. "Following the simulation, we discuss it. What went well?  What could we have done differently?  What challenges came up?  This discussion has provided a tremendous amount of insight and learnings."

From there, individual learning can progress further. Members are encouraged to ask questions and plan for different outcomes or variables. A sense of analysis which ultimately contributes to the entire team improving. As Meier says, this post-simulation reflection"...allows staff to utilize critical thinking skills, looking ahead and anticipating.”

How does training work in practice?

As we mentioned in our previous insight article, emergency maternal care is an area requiring extensive and detailed training to ensure positive outcomes. Westfield trains for the various possibilities with simulation training, both at the individual as well as team level.

The event

The skills learned during these simulations were put to good use in May 2022.

A woman, with a history of not following the prenatal program as well as drug abuse, suffered a post-partum hemorrhage after giving birth.

Each member of the team stepped in to perform their tasks.

The flawless execution of the procedure led to a healthy mother and baby leaving the hospital soon after the intervention. Even more incredible, Westfields had trained for the exact same scenario less than a year before the incident.

With simulation training, Westfield is able to create strong teams that make emergent interventions for patient care. It means a few hours a year of training, but also more mothers and babies beginning their lives together.