New risk simulation in Hietzing: Nursing staff discover dangers

New risk simulation in Hietzing: Nursing staff discover dangers

Things get exciting at the Hietzing Clinic: The “Room of Risks” was opened here, an innovative concept that offers nurses in training the opportunity to discover life-threatening risks in a specially designed environment. The focus is on encountering possible dangers in just 12 minutes and with the help of three “patients” (dolls). Interestingly, errors are not corrected verbally, but are simply noted down, which is intended to reduce the pressure on the trainees. Manfred Zottl from the patient safety team reveals: “Nobody has ever managed to find all the risks.” This gives hope for exciting challenges that not only sharpen the learning material, but also sharpen the participants' senses. The project was initiated in 2023 and is based on the successful model from Switzerland.

The idea behind the “Room of Risks” comes from Carmen Kreuzer, the central internship coordinator at the Hietzing Clinic. Last year, more than 100 trainees took part in the simulation, including students, nursing assistants and surgical assistants. City Councilor for Health Peter Hacker and Wigev General Director Evelyn Kölldorfer-Leitgeb were also guests of the “Risk” challenge and showed great interest in the topic. Kölldorfer-Leitgeb announced that it would expand the successful concept to all Wigev locations, underlining the importance of patient safety throughout the healthcare system.

The importance of patient safety

The “Room of Risks” makes a crucial contribution to raising awareness of patient safety in the training of healthcare professionals. According to studies, simulative learning methods such as the “Room of Horror” (RoH), which was also used in a similar form, are extremely effective. Here, 42 students in the first semester of the bachelor's degree in nursing successfully identified safety-relevant errors, which shows that these methods have considerable potential for the training of future nursing staff. The simulation was found to be educational and relevant to everyday professional life and promotes the students' risk awareness and observation skills.

However, there are also challenges, for example in terms of human and logistical resources. Nevertheless, it turns out that the RoH and similar concepts offer efficient ways to deepen knowledge about patient safety and integrate it into realistic scenarios. The WHO also recommends simulation-based learning methods in training programs for health professions in order to establish a positive error culture and thus reduce financial burdens caused by avoidable errors.

Innovative teaching methods for the future

Another example of innovative approaches in nursing education is the Blended Learning Escape Room Concept (BLERC), which was developed at FH JOANNEUM. This concept combines physical and digital elements and uses gamification to challenge learners interactively in their training. “Over 90% of students felt their skills had been strengthened, and 72% described the learning experience as a ‘highlight’ of their simulation training,” studies report. This not only makes learning more effective, but also more entertaining, which is crucial for motivating future nurses.

Overall, it shows that education in the healthcare sector is on a promising path thanks to modern teaching methods and a clear focus on patient safety. Simulations are central elements that both access students' theoretical knowledge and make it applicable in realistic situations. Vienna is once again setting standards in nursing education with initiatives such as the “Room of Risks” and the integration of new teaching methods.