From IT to Medicine – SIMU LF MU Leads a Project on Simulation Technician Education

That the Simulation Centre of the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University is the largest in Europe and among the most technologically advanced is a fact that has become widely known not only in the Czech Republic during its five years of operation. Logically, it also holds the lead in the number of staff required to ensure its daily operation. Now it wants to lead by example in the field of education for technical staff involved in simulation-based teaching, whose competencies span from information technology to healthcare. Under the project titled Simulation Technician Education and Development, experts from Brno are developing educational materials that could establish an internationally valid standard for simulation technicians.

“The issue begins already during the recruitment of new colleagues. We found that even abroad there is difficulty defining in a job advertisement who a simulation technician actually is and what skills they should have,” says project leader Jiří Travěnec. He has been working at SIMU since its opening and, as a graduate of Brno University of Technology in information technology, belongs to the more technically oriented staff. He advanced to the position of Deputy Director for Technology and is currently completing a PhD in the study programme Simulation in Medicine, which connects several medical specialties through modern educational methods.

Among his colleagues are experts not only with technical backgrounds, but also those from healthcare — often nursing professions or paramedics — as well as biomedical engineers. Ideally, their skill sets are just as diverse. “From being able to operate and, if necessary, repair common audiovisual equipment, through understanding how medical simulators work, to having medical knowledge that allows them, for example, to prepare a mannequin according to the specific requirements of a teaching physician,” Travěnec lists. While he and his colleagues learned many things in an uncoordinated way during the first two years of SIMU’s operation, gradually adapting their knowledge to individual needs, they now aim to establish a structured and systematic approach to professional education.

“We have extensive know-how in Brno on how to teach properly, and I believe we are also innovative in our teaching methods. We also have a dedicated team focused on results and on making the teaching perfect, because it ultimately costs a lot of money. Such an approach is not common worldwide, and I often hear words of admiration from foreign colleagues regarding how much care and energy we devote to teaching preparation,” Travěnec explains. “However, even though it may seem that we have mastered teaching itself, the education of technicians tends to be somewhat overlooked. Yet it is generally true that if someone wants to develop professionally, it is essential to provide them with opportunities, support, and space.” The mentioned competencies cannot be acquired anywhere else outside a simulation centre.

The project’s outputs will therefore include didactic materials defining the specific skills a simulation technician should master, as well as a practical educational course that will teach these skills to professionals in the field. The Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University is collaborating on the project with international partners from Germany, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia, which strengthens not only its relevance but also its chances of being adopted at both national and international levels. “Given the size of our simulation centre, this issue may concern us the most, but our vision is that the course should serve the entire country. For example, if a simulation technician were hired in Prague or Plzeň, they could complete their training with us,” says Travěnec. “At the same time, I would be pleased if the new educational materials could be transformed into a pan-European format.”