ART OF DEBRIEFING

Debriefing is the act of facilitating reflection.  The facilitator must use a lens that recognizes the basic assumption, a concept coined by the Center for Medical Simulation, that every learner is intelligent, capable and cares about doing their best and wants to improve. This lens, paired with the skills of establishing and maintaining psychological safety, the debriefer is armed with the ability to explore complex situations, unpack learner’s frame of reference and better understand the “why” relating to our actions in a constructive way. Innovators have worked hard at structuring debriefing to achieve the most transfer of knowledge and insight to the learners.  Engaging skills like advocacy/inquiry, setting up circular questions and difficult debriefing strategies will better prepare a debriefer for the conversation. Below are some landmark articles addressing debriefing in simulation as well as how to optimize those skills.  

Readings:

1.     Dreifuerst, KT, (2009) The Essentials of Debriefing in Simulation Learning: A Concept Analysis, Nursing Education Perspectives. Vol. 30(2): 109-114. [CHSE]

2.     Rudolph et al., (2007), Debriefing with Good Judgement: Combining Rigorous Feedback with Genuine Inquiry, Anesthesiology Clinic, 25:361-376.

3.     Fanning, RM, Gaba, DM, (2007) The Role of Debriefing in Simulation-Based Learning., Simulation in Healthcare, Vol 2(2):115-125. [CHSE]

4. Cheng, A., Grant, V., Robinson, T., Catena, H., Lachapelle, K., Kim, J., … Eppich, W. (2016). The Promoting Excellence and Reflective Learning in Simulation (PEARLS) Approach to Health Care Debriefing: A Faculty Development Guide. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 12(10), 419–428.

Additional Suggested Readings/Movies (Required for Sim/Ed Fellowship):

1.     Monica van de Ridder, JM et al., (2008) What is feedback in clinical education, Medical Education. 42:189-197. [CHSE]

2.     Heukelom, JNV et al. (2010), Comparison of Postsimulation Debriefing versus In-Simulation Debriefing in Medical Simulation, Simulation in Healthcare, 5(2):91-97. [CHSE]

3.     Breet-Fleegler, M et al. (2012), Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare: Development and Psychometric Properties. Simul in Healthcare. 7(5):288-294.