The UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital simulation-based Mock Code Program provides invaluable training for staff.
Simulation-based interprofessional team training is important to ensure high quality, safe patient care. Initiated in 2006, the Mock Code Program is a collaborative effort between nurses and physicians to enhance communication and care in pediatric emergencies. The mock code program consists of small-group simulation-based sessions organized in patient care areas and engages health care providers from a variety of disciplines, including physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and pharmacists.
The program is unique because of its interprofessional nature and regularly scheduled sessions. There are over 70 sessions held annually in 8 different patient care areas, allowing over 750 clinicians to participate per year. The success of the program is attributed to the great collaboration between nurses and physicians, a “never cancel” policy with regularly scheduled sessions, and endorsement of the program by nursing leadership and the residency program
The program focuses on:
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Early recognition of signs of clinical deterioration
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Awareness of the working environment and available resources for emergency situations
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Competency in resuscitation skills
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Operation knowledge of equipment needed in emergency situations
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Importance of team work and effective communication between team members
All mock code sessions follow the format of introduction-scenario-debriefing and have the following elements:
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Active participation of all team members according to real-life role
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Realistic and relevant scenarios that are concise and clear
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Participant-centered debriefings with emphasis on successes and discussion of performance improvement elements
