The training of medical doctors and other health specialists is a tough task, this is because the trainers have to be certain that the trainee is fully equipped to handle patients. Even the slightest mistake in administering treatment to patients can lead to avoidable fatalities. This why medical trainees need to be exposed to real life patients in order for them to gain the necessary proficiencies and capabilities (Gada, 2004). The core factor that should always be considered is the provision of the best possible treatment to the patient, and ensuring that they are safe in addition to being happy about the quality of services given. Ensuring that this condition is met more often than not becomes a dilemma especially during training. This is because apart from being a science subject medicine is also an art, this implies that practice or hands on experience is required in order for one to b come competent and proficient (Boulkedid, Abdoul, Loustau, Sibony & Alberti,2011).
Patient care is becoming complex with each passing day, especially due to the digitization of patient care. Medical practitioners or trainees who make use of analytical thinking are not only well learned in their area of specialty but also have proficiency in practical skills. In addition to that, they also have fluent communication skills, in order to communicate with their colleagues, patient and patient’s next of kin (Lindsay, Schull, Bronskill & Anderson, 2002). They also exhibit traits of being good team players and can successfully coordinate the various activities that a patient needs in their health care. An individual making use of analytical thinking realizes that the first responsibility of any care giver is fully understanding what their duties are, how they affect the quality of a patient’s health, the procedures used, equipment used and outcome of the procedures (Hibbard, Stockard, Mahoney & Tusler, 2004).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Many practical fields are faced with the challenge of properly assessing if the trainee has fully grasped the concept, and if they can proficiently put those skills into action. Critical thinking is the most integral factor that must be present in any competent trainee. Despite the many advancement in technology, there has been no technology invented to determine the level of critical thinking present in an individual. However, there are several techniques that have been innovated to assist in determining how well an individual uses analytical thinking when presented with certain situations (Lindsay, Schull, Bronskill & Anderson, 2002). The main tools used to determine the presence of critical thinking or its effectiveness to health care giving is simulation and reflection.
One such technique is the use of simulation. This technique is mainly used in practical fields such as medicine, armed forces and aviation. This system substitutes and augments existing life events with a given set of guidelines. The aim of this technique is to stimulate and replicate elements of our daily lives in compatible environment (Lateef, 2010). Simulation greatly helps in developing and enhancing the knowledge, approach, proficiencies as well as competency of health specialists, this in turn protects patients from incurring any preventable risks. When simulation is integrated in the training of health specialists, it becomes a very significant device since it lessens the number of practical predicaments and moral conflicts experienced (Jha, Duncan & Bates, 2001).
The simulation system, procedures, policies and implements are not only essential in training health specialist trainees, but also as a tool to determine if an individual is making use of analytical thinking abilities. In the health sciences simulation creates an excellent opportunity for training of individuals from different medical units. The replicated and enhances real life situations as well as apparatus provide a ground for reorientation and rehearsal, until one has gained total proficiency in the skill or technique. Many medical schools and institutions that provide health care related studies have incorporated simulation into their teaching syllabus (Lateef, 2010).
Reflection is the process through which an individual deliberately uses critical thinking to evaluate a clinical experience that has happened in the field of nursing. This technique makes use of a systematized contemplation and espoused reflective dialogues for groups provide nurses with a great opportunity to attain an insightful level of assessment. When this technique is integrated in the learning and training of nurses, it greatly enhances their grasp of knowledge, skills and practical know-how of dilemmas they are prone to encounter while handling real life patients. The systematized contemplation encourages practice of the learnt material, prepare the trainees on how they can apply their knowledge or skills and encourage change in performances (Lindsay, Schull, Bronskill & Anderson, 2002).
The reflection technique can greatly improve on the quality of health care given to patients. This is because it provides the care givers with an opportunity to analyze the patients condition, not only as an individual but also as a team, which is more thorough and minimizes the probability of any risk arising. This is because all the loop holes that have been left in the analyzing, treatment administered, procedure used, equipment selected and predictions made will be easily identified during the facilitated reflective conversations (Lindsay, Schull, Bronskill & Anderson, 2002).
References
Boulkedid, R., Abdoul, H., Loustau, M., Sibony, O., & Alberti, C. (2011). Using and reporting the Delphi method for selecting healthcare quality indicators: A systematic review. PloS one , 6(6), e20476.
Gaba D. (2004) The future of simulation in health care. Qual Saf Health Care . ;13:2–10
Hibbard, J. H., Stockard, J., Mahoney, E. R., & Tusler, M. (2004). Development of the Patient Activation Measure (PAM): conceptualizing and measuring activation in patients and consumers. Health services research , 39(4p1), 1005-1026.
Jha, A. K., Duncan, B. W., & Bates, D. W. (2001). Simulator-Based Training and Patient Safety. Making health care safer: A critical analysis of patient safety practices, 45.
Lateef, F. (2010). Simulation-based learning: Just like the real thing. Journal of Emergencies, Trauma and Shock , 3(4), 348.
Lindsay, P., Schull, M., Bronskill, S., & Anderson, G. (2002). The development of indicators to measure the quality of clinical care in emergency departments following a modified‐Delphi approach. Academic emergency medicine , 9(11), 1131-1139.
