CSMEN connects people and organisations involved in health and social care to enable collaboration for a "Once for Scotland" approach to skills and simulation-based learning.
CSMEN Vision
World-leading Facilitation of Skills and Simulation Training.
CSMEN Mission
We enable innovative, quality-assured skills and simulation-based learning across health and social care for Scotland.
CSMEN Strategy
The national multi-professional Clinical Skills Managed Educational Network (CSMEN) has a 12-year track record of successful delivery of award-winning state-of-the-art simulation-based education within a limited financial envelope. In line with the updated NES strategy 2019-24 there is a clear commitment under Education and Training for a skilled, adaptable and compassionate workforce to “scale up simulation skills training to support clinical skills and human factors training”.
This multiprofessional strategy for enhancing skills using simulation sets out the outcomes and actions that we and our partner organisations will carry out to deliver safe, evidence based, quality simulation-based education across the whole Scottish health and social care system through innovation and using a continuous improvement model under the auspices of the CSMEN agreed by the operational group in June 2021.
This strategy will deliver:
1. A sustainable, reliable and innovative “Once for Scotland” simulation-based education system through establishing regional interprofessional skills and simulation collaboratives linked to CSMEN, the Scottish Centre for Simulation and Clinical Human Factors (SCSCHF) and BASICS Scotland to create a flexible, adaptable and skilled health and social care workforce. This will require funded protected time for simulation-based training for the workforce for UG and PG curricula and for CPD
a. The regional collaboratives will prioritise the use of simulation, based on national workforce planning needs and the results of the training needs analysis providing trained faculty using the national outcomes framework for simulation-based educators.
b. Quality assured simulation-based education programmes will focus on emergency update requirements (adults, children and neonates), development of team working, decision making, communication skills training, expanded specialist medical skills simulation programmes reflecting curricular requirements and providing opportunities to accelerate new role developments for the Scottish health and social care workforce.
2. Evidence-based simulation-based education for the health and social care workforce for new roles and developing enhanced traditional roles to meet the needs of the service
a. A national CSMEN multi-professional e-skills group will prioritise national online skills resources and will link to TEL innovations including, where appropriate, evaluating podcasts/talking heads/VR and AR as part of the blended approach to simulation-based education through the regional collaboratives and the funded delivery units.
b. Work in collaboration with the NHS Scotland Academy to deliver quality assured simulation-based training for roles required for National Treatment Centres (for example theatre assistants, peri-operative care assistants, anaesthetic assistants).
3. Enhanced research evidence of resilient teamworking and other non-technical skills using simulation-based education across health and social care contexts with a focus on remote and rural using a combination of relevant technologies to provide a fair and sustainable work environment (cf. Feeley Report recommendations), enhancing the funding support of simulation fellows and research groups linked to Safety, Skills and Improvement Research Collaborative (SKIRC).
a. A focus on interprofessional and remote and rural Simulation Based Education (SBE) using a combination of relevant technologies to provide fair and sustainable work environment (cf. Feeley Report recommendations, GMC Credential for remote and rural practice, Skye Centre for Excellence recommendation 13).
b. A research strategy incorporating priorities of Scottish Medical Education Research Consortium (SMERC) and SKIRC will be developed, funded and implemented in line with NES and CSMEN strategy and NHS Scotland Academy priorities.
c. SCSCHF will support health and social care practitioners in the skills development required to provide care for clinical frailty across different contexts, including remote and rural, using quality assured simulation-based education facilities such as the Mobile Skills Unit.
4. Accelerated recruitment and quality training pathways using simulation-based education in collaboration with key partners and users to enhance retention and broaden scope and flexibility of practice. This will require close alignment with NHS Scotland Academy priorities using an agreed continuous, safe model of improvement.
a. This will include working in partnerships to deliver, for example, boot camps for non-medical cystoscopy training using simulation-based education.
b. CSMEN will work in partnership with the NHS Scotland Academy Phase 1 priorities to develop QA programmes of simulation-based education for funded accelerated workforce requirements for the National Treatment Centres and Intensive care units.
c. CSMEN will provide guidance through the programme board and support through the provision and monitoring of the use of mobile and fixed endoscopes for the multiprofessional NHS Academy National Endoscopy Training Centre.
5. Clinical Skills and Simulation education delivered for whole system change for National Care Service (Feeley Report recommendations) through a protected joint funding stream from NES and the NHS Scotland Academy for expanded core clinical educational administrative and technological support.
a. CSMEN will provide funded expertise to develop appropriate funded facilities for the NHS Scotland Academy in context of current provision of simulation centres and future needs.
b. The medical specialties will develop a costed plan for the expansion of simulation based education for the curricula requirements based on the success of the Improve Surgical Training (IST) and Internal Medical Training (IMT) programmes.
6. A world leading national system of blended simulation-based education for the health and social care workforce utilising recognised strong leadership, providing research evidence, incorporating shared governance (including quality assurance) and evaluation will be led by an expanded core CSMEN team within a supported multi-professional organisational structure which is inclusive of the NHS Scotland Academy.
a. CSMEN will provide clinical and managerial leadership for the national Network collaborating with major stakeholders such as NHS Scotland Academy in an explicit system of accountability in keeping with its principles to train using simulation-based education 20-30% of the workforce annually.
b. CSMEN will develop a communication strategy for disseminating best evidence-based practice via the network, CSMEN website, workshops, conferences, social media and publications.