Simulations in clinical neurosciences

Education and clinical training in neurosurgical anesthesiology have seen tremendous progress, however, the need for more uniform and structured training is increasingly recognized by accreditation bodies. Clinical training highly depends on the availability of institutional cases, and it is difficult to perform an adequate assessment of skill competencies in rare and high-stakes clinical events. These challenges are best addressed by simulation-based education and training. In this chapter, we present basic concepts and guidelines for the development of a structured neurosurgical anesthesia simulation curriculum. Simulation education training is suitable for the identification of performance gaps, training and assessment of skill acquisition, training in rare, high-stakes events, anesthesia crisis resource management, and nontechnical skills (decision-making, communication, and multidisciplinary team training). We also present the basics of simulation scenarios development. Simulation scenarios are learner-oriented, competence-based tools that address identified clinical performance gaps. To accomplish the best educational objectives, the simulation education curriculum should always be well integrated with clinical training.