Dynamic Plus-Delta: an agile debriefing approach centred around variable participant, faculty and contextual factors

Abstract

The current coronavirus pandemic has necessitated rapid intensive care infrastructure expansion with corresponding demand for training healthcare staff. At the NHS Nightingale Hospital, London, the staff underwent a training programme prior to entering the clinical environment with simulation being a core component. This paper describes the rationale for choosing an initial debriefing model which evolved overtime to consider multiple contextual factors: demands of the clinical environment, the diverse participants and their learning needs, the variable experience of faculty, and the dynamic nature of available debriefing time. The new approach, termed here as the Dynamic Plus-Delta model, blends the traditional Plus-Delta approach with specific dynamic elements which considers the unique demands of rapidly training large number of staff. We outline the core features of this model and detail specific considerations around psychological safety. This debriefing approach can be used in similar simulation intervention settings where rapid training of participants is required with multiple and varying contextual factors.