Students struggling in clinical? A new role for the patient simulator.

Our students trust that we will provide them with information and opportunities to practice what they have learned in the classroom. When students are not meeting established objectives in the clinical environment, the possibility for error increases, frustration and the students' stress levels escalate, and patient safety is jeopardized. Traditional remediation methods may reduce students' already low levels of confidence, putting more stress on the students and creating an environment prone to errors. We devised a remediation plan using the human patient simulator to meet the needs of such students and their clinical preceptors, while preserving patient safety. The simulation laboratory is a safe place to practice skills until a specified level of proficiency is reached. In this environment, students gain back confidence in their abilities. By using the simulator in this novel way, student learning is enhanced, while patient care and safety is optimized.