Leadership Training: A New Application of Crisis Resource Management and Distance Education in a Large Group Format at a Medical Simulation Facility.

INTRODUCTION: Leadership and teamwork skills must be practiced to gain full value from a leadership course. The leadership role is one of the main points highlighted during a Crisis Resource Management (CRM) session. While a typical CRM session offered in a medical simulation laboratory uses a medical crisis to elicit behaviors for videotaping and debriefing, the CRM principles are generic and applicable to leadership training outside medical practice.

METHODS: The Simulation Development and Cognitive Science Laboratory of the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine offered a CRM course to high school students using a pediatric full human simulator (M.E.T.I.) The students rotated through two sessions: as hands-on participants in the Simulation Laboratory, and in a remote education mode. During the remote session, they viewed their peers via a video link, discussed the crisis and were able to assist their peers.

RESULTS: The 17 students valued the overall session at a high level (4.9 ± 0.2 on a five-point scale; mean ± SD). The majority of students (n=10) indicated that they felt involved in both the hands-on and remote sessions (≥7 on a ten-point scale).

CONCLUSION: Based on the results, all participants believed the session was of great value and that they could use CRM principles in everyday situations. We believe that the participants found significant value in the CRM session as a leadership skills resource. Most students also felt involved in the remote sessions, thereby enabling a larger group of trainees to learn about and experience CRM principles.