Simulation Use within Respiratory Therapy Education Programs: A Review.

Simulation-based education (SBE) refers to the use of specialized equipment in a controlled setting to enable learners to safely practice real-life procedures and scenarios. Though the respiratory therapy (RT) profession was an early-adopter of SBE and many RT education programs report its use, there have been few attempts to examine the related literature and report on broad themes in this area. Hence, the purpose of this explorative paper is to provide readers with an enhanced understanding of SBE trends within RT academic education, which may help promote a more informed use and encourage more scholarly work in this area. To accomplish this, literature related to SBE use in RT academic education published from 2012 to 2023 was reviewed and synthesized. As a result, this paper reveals patterns related to the types simulation and level of fidelity being used, targeted competencies and outcomes, the degree of success in achieving aims and how they are being studied in the context of research. Recommendations are also made for future study of notable unresolved issues in this area.