Introducing Simulation within the Skills for Health Academy’s Multi-Professional Cadet Scheme

In 2013, the Clinical Skills and Simulation team at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (PAHT) recommended that a patient-centred approach to care needed to be reinforced much earlier in health education.The purpose of this pilot study was to introduce simulation into the education of the multidisciplinary cadet scheme, currently run by the Skills for Health Academy. Its aim was to educate young students in the fundamental basics of patient care by adopting a blended approach to learning, combining theoretical knowledge with the opportunity to practice key clinical skills in a simulated environment. The intended outcome was to enhance the underpinning knowledge of the multidisciplinary cadet which in turn would lead to a safer environment and a more cohesive patient journey.