The team is called to manage an unresponsive man with respiratory depression. The initial assessment involves rapidly evaluating potential causes for altered mental status, including hypoglycemia, hypoxia, and intoxication. Initial management of hypoglycemia and airway support does not improve the patient’s mental status. The team must recognize opioid toxidrome and administer naloxone. The patient will […]

A 74 year old female is admitted under the hospitalist at a community hospital with a UTI. She is on day 3 of antibiotic therapy. While in hospital, she develops acute onset of right arm weakness, facial droop and unintelligible speech. Participants should recognize an acute CVA within the window, perform a stroke assessment, treat […]

A 10-day-old term male neonate is brought to the emergency department by his parents. Their concerns are that, over the course of the day, he has become pale, his feet look “bluer”, and he is more lethargic. Moreover, he has only made 1 diaper today and is feeding very poorly. On examination, this is a […]

A 47 year old male presents with acute respiratory failure via EMS. He rapidly decompensates upon arrival. His travel history is missed on initial screening by EMS due his severity so he is transferred to the trauma bay without appropriate precautions. Part-way through the case his travel history is revealed (if not already asked for) […]

Scenario: Case designed during the January 2020 COVID-19 outbreak in order to assess and improve team preparedness for safely and effectively caring for a critically ill coronavirus patient from triage through to intubation and disposition in a community hospital. The scenario focusses on system processes more than individual skills. This case was adapted from one […]

This template is a generic and comprehensive guide for the development and documentation of simulation scenarios. It is intended to be applicable to any profession (including interprofessional scenarios), any healthcare field, and for most simulation modalities. Members of the Simulation Canada community produced it following a review of the literature on best practices in scenario […]

The PEARLS for Systems Integration Debreifng Tool is now available as a free colour download.

EMR-sim is a computer-based (‚’virtual patient’) simulation to teach clinicians on the challenges of using electronic medical records (EMRs) in the patient-clinician encounter. The scenarios for this project were designed on the basis of a literature review and a research study of the impact of EMRs on the clinical encounter and the strategies and best […]

Pt has 1 week history of cough/fever, seen in ED yesterday and intubated this morning for worsening SOB and hypoxia. Remains difficult to oxygenate. Hypotensive and on pressure support. Pt taken to CT scan then directly to ICU. More difficult to bag en-route to ICU. Pt O2 sat decreasing to 82%- 75%. Pt develops decreased […]

Mike is a 35 year old male. He was on a first date at Nami sushi on Lonsdale. His date offered him gomae, he took one bite and felt lip tingling immediately, he told his date about his severe peanut allergy and they came to the ED. No Epi Pen. Triage nurse to present case […]

7 year old child, febrile for 2 days, parents notice seizure like activity and bring to emergency. During initial assement, patient seizes. Patient stops seizing when given appropriate mediations.

This scenario uses a physician confederate, who becomes fixated on intubation while the patient deteriorates, and offers the nursing and RT staff an opportunity to recognize and manage a critical deterioration as well as a fixation error.

This virtual patient case, named ‘A fatigued figure’, was the 3rd place winner in the CHEC-CESC Virtual Patient Challenge 2012-2013. The case authors are Ayesha Malik, MSc, MD Candidate, and Kiran Virdy, MD, Faculty of Medicine University of Toronto. This case is designed for medical students and PGY1 in Family Medicine, and is designed as […]

A detailed how-to guide to moulage for standardized patients. Covers basic makeup techniques including proper sanitation and a section on making prosthetics from latex, latex substitutes, prosthetic gelatin, and silicone. Although written for prehospital workers, the guide should be useful for anyone concerned with moulage for standardized patients. The guide is titled “Casualty Simulation Techniques” […]

Since the publication of the 2011 report Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice, few tools have been developed to evaluate attitudes that reflect the competencies. The Interprofessional Assessment Scale (IPAS) was developed and validated with this purpose in mind.

A teenaged inpatient client with an acquired brain injury is going home for the first time. She and her mother are quite anxious about this weekend leave of absence. A clinician has been tasked with: (1) ensuring the client has her medications for the weekend: and (2) providing the client/family with a copy of the […]

A parent meeting with an Early Childhood Educator to review the goals that they had set earlier in the year. A new member of the team has been asked to lead the discussion. The mother thinks the goals are too complicated, and just wants to hear her child say, “I love you.”

The learner is a clinician who is having an initial meeting with the two fathers of a child with cerebral palsy. The learner needs to engage the family in determining how the goals for the child will be developed, and answer their questions.

This is a family’s first outpatient visit with a clinician. They have many questions about what to expect. The learner’s task is to effectively communicate their role at the hospital and help the family understand how this therapy/service will help their child.

A 39-year-old woman comes to hospital for day surgery. Induction of anesthesia goes smoothly. There is then a handover of RNs and anesthesia to a new team. The patient becomes tachycardic wth a rise in CO2 and body temperature which the team must recognize and manage.

A 35-year-old woman comes to hospital for day surgery. The induction of anesthesia goes smoothly. Early in the procedure the patient becomes hypotensive and hypoxemic. The participants must recognize and respond to an air/CO2 embolus.

A 72 yr old man underwent an inguinal hernia repair 2 hours ago. Stable intraoperative course. He is now in PACU with bradycardia and vital signs unstable. The team must recognize this critical situation, call a code, and arrange transfer to an appropriate care location.

A 42 yo woman comes to hospital for day surgery. Induction of anesthesia goes smoothly. Early into the procedure, she develops hypoxemia, hypotension and rising airway pressure. The team must recognize and manage a tension pneumothorax.

A 39 yo woman is in hospital for day surgery. She is stable before and after induction of anesthesia. A few minutes after the surgical procedure begins, smoke will quickly fill the room and the team must respond to a fire in the OR.