Promoting Excellence and Reflective Learning in Simulation (PEARLS)

TLDR

The PEARLS framework integrates learner self‑assessment, focused discussion, and directive feedback to structure simulation debriefings. The authors propose PEARLS as a blended debriefing approach and introduce a scripted tool to support its implementation. The debriefing tool employs scripted language to guide facilitators through the selected educational strategy during simulation debriefing. The framework and script fill a gap for educators, offering a versatile, structured approach applicable to diverse simulation goals such as clinical decision making, technical skill improvement, teamwork, and interprofessional collaboration.

Abstract

We describe an integrated conceptual framework for a blended approach to debriefing called PEARLS [Promoting Excellence And Reflective Learning in Simulation]. We provide a rationale for scripted debriefing and introduce a PEARLS debriefing tool designed to facilitate implementation of the new framework. The PEARLS framework integrates 3 common educational strategies used during debriefing, namely, (1) learner self-assessment, (2) facilitating focused discussion, and (3) providing information in the form of directive feedback and/or teaching. The PEARLS debriefing tool incorporates scripted language to guide the debriefing, depending on the strategy chosen. The PEARLS framework and debriefing script fill a need for many health care educators learning to facilitate debriefings in simulation-based education. The PEARLS offers a structured framework adaptable for debriefing simulations with a variety in goals, including clinical decision making, improving technical skills, teamwork training, and interprofessional collaboration.