Neonatal Healthcare Professionals' Experiences When Implementing a Simulation and Debriefing Program in Neonatal Intensive Care Settings: A Qualitative Analysis

Background: Simulation-based training (SBT) and debriefing have increased in healthcare as a method to conduct interprofessional team training in a realistic environment. Purpose: This qualitative study aimed to describe the experiences of neonatal healthcare professionals when implementing a patient safety simulation and debriefing program in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: Fourteen NICUs in California and Oregon participated in a 15-month quality improvement collaborative with the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative. Participating sites completed 3 months of preimplementation work, followed by 12 months of active implementation of the simulation and debriefing program. Focus group interviews were conducted with each site 2 times during the collaborative. Content analysis found emerging implementation themes. Results: There were 234 participants in the 2 focus group interviews. Six implementation themes emerged: (1) receptive context; (2) leadership support; (3) culture change; (4) simulation scenarios; (5) debriefing methodology; and (6) sustainability. Primary barriers and facilitators with implementation of SBT centered around having a receptive context at the unit level (eg, availability of resources and time) and multidisciplinary leadership support. Implications for Practice and Research: NICUs have varying environmental (context) factors and consideration of unit-level context factors and support from leadership are integral aspects of enhancing the successful implementation of a simulation and debriefing program for neonatal resuscitation. Additional research regarding implementation methods for overcoming barriers for both leaders and participants, as well as determining the optimal frequency of SBT for clinicians, is needed. A knowledge gap remains regarding improvements in patient outcomes with SBT.