Developing facilitator competence in scenario-based medical simulation: Presentation and evaluation of a train the trainer course in Bergen, Norway

Abstract

Simulation-based learning (SBL) is becoming an accepted part of health education. Providing high-quality simulation-based education depends more on skilled facilitators than on elaborate simulator equipment. In the last six years, a cross-professional facilitator course has been developed to train interprofessional staff and faculty from health educational institutions in Bergen. The course starts with two days of traditional simulation theory and practice followed by a third day five weeks later. During the third day, participants present their own experiences from practising as facilitators in their own workplaces. In this paper, we present the course content and the participants’ evaluation of the course based on the qualitative content analysis of their answers to open-ended questions. The main findings were that the course format and primary focus on practice were appreciated and that the follow-up day was especially useful to broaden the learning experience.