Spotlight on Simulation: Pediatric Critical Care Transport

The Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital Pediatric Critical Care Transport (PCCT) team, which provides transport to children who require specialized care, recently participated in a training session at Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation (YCHS).

YCHS provides controlled and supportive simulation environments for members of Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health System to practice critical thinking, decision-making, and clinical skills. Simulation spaces can look like hospital or clinic rooms. They include interactive mannequins and equipment to record training for review.

The PCCT simulation was led by Michael Goldman, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and medical director of the Pediatric Critical Care Transport program, and Thomas Martin, MSN, patient service manager.

Prior to beginning the training, the PCCT team was briefed on the simulated scenario: they would be transporting a one-year-old child in respiratory distress.

However, when they arrived in the simulation room, the team was tasked with a different scenario which involved stabilizing a child receiving CPR.

Once the team stabilized the child and prepared them for transport, the simulation moved to an ambulance. During the simulated transport, the ambulance broke down, leaving the team stranded on a highway without power and with a child in critical care.

Throughout the training, the PCCT worked together efficiently and collaboratively, problem-solving under pressure while prioritizing their patient’s health and safety. This type of high-stakes scenario training is essential for preparing teams to handle the types of unpredictable emergencies they may encounter in the field.

In their debrief, the PCCT team was commended for their quick thinking and creative solutions to the challenges they faced. The team was grateful for the opportunity to partner with the staff at YCHS to train in a safe learning space. It was truly a great learning experience for all!