As of August 2010, the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville (UFCOM-J) institutional patient safety training of residents and fellows has transitioned from the lecture hall to the simulation bedside. The training process for the past four years has evolved from "awareness-building" of National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs), to campus-wide grand rounds on medical errors and patient safety, led by a multidisciplinary team. UFCOM-J will now conduct its patient safety training in UFCOM-J Center for Simulation Education and Safety Research (CSESaR), thereby creating a safe experiential learning environment for applying patient safety principles in clinical care.

The UFCOM-J patient safety training redesign sets up online resource materials for individual review, followed by small group simulation training and debriefing in the principles of patient safety. Grounded in adult learning theory, the curriculum will emphasize the recognition of potential for error and harm, willingness to speak up and/or call for help, and taking effective action - as individual advocate or in collaboration with a team - to intervene or rescue patients from error or harm.

The simulation environment will test two different types of training modalities - 1) small teams rotating through serial brief vignettes with faculty supervision and debriefing and 2) moderately larger group immersion in a larger, longer, and more complex scenario role-play and interaction - in annual cyclical progressive reinforcement. As there is limited data comparing forms of simulation training, this study will examine the level of complexity of simulation necessary to attain the desired outcomes of acceptable levels of individual performance measures in safety training and improved patient safety indicators.