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Medical simulation is an effective strategy for teaching high risk, low-frequency procedural skills, developing teamwork, refining communication skills, improving crisis resource management strategies, and exposing latent patient safety threats.[1][2][3][4] As simulation training continues to expand and become increasingly common throughout healthcare education, educators have established best practices.[5] This approach ensures the simulation experience is consistent and provides the most benefit to the learners. One such guideline published by the International Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) states simulation best practice includes having defined goals and objectives, a sufficient pre-brief, an established case scenario, and adequate debriefing.[6] Conducting a briefing before the simulation training has become a foundational part of the simulation experience. Prior to use in simulation, the importance of pre-briefings has been demonstrated in aviation, aerospace, and surgery.[7][8][9] Scholars found that a briefing before cardiac surgery decreases disruptions and improves team communication.[8][9][10] In the simulation, the pre-briefing serves to set the tone for the upcoming learning experience. The briefing in advance of the simulation activity consists of several key components. These include reviewing the session’s goals and objectives, establishing a fiction contract with learners, providing logistic details about the session, and pledging to respect the learners.[6][11] These components attempt to create a psychologically safe environment for the learners to feel comfortable, both making and learning from mistakes. If there is no establishment of psychological safety, learners will not be able to optimize their experience in the simulation lab.[11][12][13]

The briefing before simulation has four key components.[6][11] Review the session's goals and objectives. Educators should review learning objectives, outlining the simulation session sequence of events, familiarizing the learners with the simulation equipment and environment, and explaining the roles of the educators. Establish a fiction contract with the learners. The educator is responsible for creating a scenario that is as real as possible within the limitations of the simulated environment. The learners are responsible for fully engaging in the simulation and acting as if everything is real. Provide logistic details about the session to the learners. Logistic details include the length of the session, timing of breaks, and how to manage telephone calls, texts, pages, and emails throughout the session. Pledge to respect the learners. Educators should inquire about the learner's decisionmaking process and rationale behind their choices - this provides the educator insight into the learner's knowledge gaps and helps guide feedback.

Patient safety in healthcare is increasing in importance.[1][2] [Level 2] Briefing before surgery decreases disruptions and improves team communication.[8][9][10] [Level 3] Psychologically safe learners acquire skills more rapidly during simulation education, resulting in improved clinical skills and better patient care.[13] [Level 5] Psychological first aid lowers anxiety and mitigates acute distress.[19] [Level 2] Accomplishing these goals will contribute to a better interprofessional healthcare team approach to any procedure, driving positive patient outcomes. [Level 5]