Mobile Skills Unit Update
At the start of May, the Mobile Skills Unit returned to its base at the Scottish National Blood Transfusions Service depot in Glasgow for kit inspections ahead of its summer visits.
Next the MSU travelled onto Mull and Iona Community Hospital. Sessions included updating nursing skills, deteriorating patient simulations and palliative care.
After some vehicle inspections the MSU travelled to Stratheden Hospital in Cupar. Over the course of a week participants took part in a comprehensive training programme including sessions on venepuncture, ECGs, intramuscular injections, catheterisation, mental health simulations and overdose awareness training.
June is set to be another busy month for the MSU with a tour of Shetland and Orkney. We are visiting 5 different locations in Shetland delivering training at Brae, Yell, Unst, Whalsay and finishing in Lerwick.
The Mobile Skills Unit is a versatile, multi-professional and multi-agency resource. To book the MSU for your region, check out the MSU availability on this calendar.
CSMEN would love to hear about your experience using the Mobile Skills Unit. Please send any feedback to nes.msu@nhs.scot
Resources
Get a sneak peek inside our updated 360° interactive tour! See the space, imagine the learning and plan your next Mobile Skills Unit visit. Mobile Skills Unit virtual tour | Turas | Learn
Simulation Resources in Scotland 2025 Update
The first scoping project was undertaken by CSMEN in 2023 to determine the simulation resources available in the health boards; this was updated in 2024 to include universities and an interactive map and table. We are just starting to contact centres for 2025 information.
The main objective of the project was to enable the sharing of resources (faculty and equipment) within and between health boards by creating a database of where the resources are in Scotland and who is responsible for them.
The project has four outcomes:
- A report containing information on the simulation centres in each health board area;
- An interactive map which enables searching for equipment by location;
- An Excel file with equipment information; and,
- An Excel file with course information.
All these can be accessed on the CSMEN website.
We would be very interested to hear from you if you have used the database. Should we be displaying the information in a more user friendly way? Is there other information we should include in the tables? Do email us on CSMEN@nes.scot.nhs.uk
NES Human Factors and Ergonomics Education and Resources Hub
Human Factors Hub | Turas | Learn
This hub aims to enhance the safety, effectiveness, and usability of Health and Social Care systems by providing educational resources and practical tools that support the integration of Human Factors principles across all levels of policy, practice, education, and research.
In the informed section you can find educational resources to enable you to develop a foundational awareness of Human Factors.
Conferences
International Clinical Skills Conference Prato
It was a privilege as National Clinical Lead for CSMEN to be part of the Scottish Team representing Clinical Skills at the International Clinical Skills Conference in Prato. There were excellent presentations and round table discussion led by University and NHS staff from across the breadth of Scotland. The standard of research, innovation and expertise in simulation and clinical skills development in Scotland sits comfortably on the Global stage.
Many thanks for the time, effort and energy of all who presented and for the teams across Scotland for the collaboration and teamwork that made it possible.
Highlights included:
- Development of a Student Simulation Faculty – logistics and lessons from our first year. Rachel Falconer, Craig Brown, Jerry Morse. University of Aberdeen.
- The West of Scotland Faculty Development Programme - does it cover all elements needed to progress from growth to maturity? Catherine Paton and Neil McGowan. NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Society for Simulation in Europe (SESAM) Conference
Registration is open for the Society for Simulation in Europe (SESAM) 30th annual meeting. With the theme Developing, Adopting and embedding Innovative Simulation, the meeting with take place 25-27 June at the Palacio de Congresos in Valencia. You can see the full programme and register here. SEASM Valencia 2025
The Pre-Congress programme includes a selection of educational workshops. Availability is limited and early booking is recommended. Highlights include;
- Tuesday 24 June - Mastering the meta-debrief, developing a toolbox for debriefing the debrief Prashant Kumar, Kathleen Collins, Colette Laws-Chapman, Catherine Paton, Jo Park-Ross and Diego Olmo-Ferrer
- Wednesday 25 June 13:45 – The new curriculum is coming; can you sim it for us? This workshop is based around the experience of building, delivering and refining the IMT simulation strategy. James Tiernan, Jemma Pringle, Andrew Galbraith and Vicky Tallentire.
Association for Medical Education Europe (AMEE) Conference
Registration is now open for the AMEE 2025 annual conference. With the theme ‘How are educators relevant to health?’ we can connect, grow and inspire one another. You can see the full programme and register here. AMEE Barcelona 2025.
- Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 August - Powering the development of educators to move further and faster with AI. Join us this August for a two-day deep dive into the world of artificial intelligence in health professions education. Whether you're brand new to AI or ready to advance your practice, the AI Symposia at AMEE 2025 offers expert-led sessions, interactive discussions, and practical tools to help you transform your teaching with AI. (Barcelona and online)
Scottish Simulation SIMposium
Welcome to the Scottish Simulation SIMPosium 2025, where this year’s theme, “Simulation Amplified: Expanding Reach, Scaling Impact,” highlights the transformative potential of simulation in healthcare education and research. This in-person event will take place on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the Suttie Centre for Teaching & Learning in Healthcare.
The SIMPosium will feature a diverse program of keynote addresses, short presentations, panel interviews, and poster presentations, designed to inspire and connect the simulation community. We
BASICS Scotland Annual Conference
You can find a link to other conferences relevant to clinical skills and simulation here.
Medical Simulation Papers
In light of growing environmental concerns, this article examines the often-overlooked environmental impact of simulation-based education (SBE) within healthcare. Simulation-based education and sustainability: creating a bridge to action. Katherine Mitchell, Robyn Canham, Katie Hughes, Vicky Tallentire.
BASICS Scotland Update
An Introduction to ECG Interpretation
Join Clinical Educator Craig Lithgow as he leads you through a clear, supportive, and hands-on introduction to ECG interpretation. Drawing on his extensive experience in pre-hospital care, Craig delivers easy-to-understand explanations, real-world examples, and practical insights to help you build confidence and competence.
Whether you’re new to ECGs or aiming to reinforce your foundational knowledge, this course is designed to guide and encourage you every step of the way.
Please refer to the BASICS Scotland website for all course dates.
SCSCHF Update
Please refer to the SCSCHF website for all course dates.