GlossaryGuide

Etym. fiction (n.) something that is not true; something invented by the imagination or feigned; an assumption of a possibility as a fact irrespective of the question of its truth; a useful illusion or pretense; the action of feigning or of creating with the imagination.

Etym. contract (n.) a binding agreement between two or more persons or parties.

Definition

• A concept that implies that an engagement in simulation is a contract between the instructor and the learner: each has to do his or her part to make the simulation worthwhile (Rudolph, Dieckmann, et al.).

• The degree of engagement that health care trainees are willing to give the simulated event. Also known as the “suspension of disbelief,” it is a literary and theatrical concept that encourages participants to put aside their disbelief and accept the simulated exercise as being real for the duration of the scenario.

• The implicit or explicit agreement among participants and facilitator(s) about how the participant is expected to interact with the simulated situation and how the facilitators will treat that interaction. (International Nursing Association for Simulation and Clinical Learning, 2016).