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Medical emergency simulation training for dental core trainees

Published 20/11/2023

Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) held a ‘Medical Emergency’ simulation training day for dental core trainees, in Bangor on 17 November.

The training is believed to be a first of its kind offered in North Wales for the Dental Core Training (DCT) program. It quickly sold out, attracting participants from across Wales into the additional spaces made available to dentists as a continuing professional development (CPD) course. 

HEIW’s North Wales Dental Postgraduate Education Team worked in partnership with Suman Mitra, an Associate Dean for Simulation at HEIW. Together, they arranged the training in the simulation suite at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor.

Training Program Director for DCT1 in North Wales, Katherine Mills, commented,

“This course embodied the All-Wales definition of simulation-based education. It supported development through experiential learning by creating and replicating conditions which resembled real life situations. It provided a safe environment where participants could learn from their mistakes without any danger to patients. This allowed individuals to analyse and respond to realistic situations, whilst developing or enhancing their knowledge, skills, behaviour and attitudes (Hawker et al. 2022). The team in North Wales was very excited to be able to deliver education to dentists through this exciting approach.”

The training course, primarily aimed at dentists who are training in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) environments, helps dentists to:

  • recognise and instigate appropriate initial care in unwell patients while escalating appropriately
  • follow A to E assessment skills
  • use SBARs as an approach to escalation
  • understand the initial management of common post operative patient complications
  • understand the initial management of common OMFS emergencies. 

Each participant was awarded with 7.5 verifiable enhanced CPD hours and the training met all four General Dental Council development outcomes:

  • leadership
  • communication
  • clinical skills
  • professional and ethical skills

Adam Holden was the speaker during the training course. Adam runs similar simulation courses using HiFi Simulation facilities in England so the opportunity to share his expertise was greatly appreciated.

The teams at HEIW and Bangor University extend a big thank you to Adam and to all participants who attended.