Create the Perfect Operations Manual for your Simulation Center

An operations manual sets up for an organization a standard of practice that is repeatable and provides a means of staying on track using a disciplined approach. At its’ core, the operations manual could simply be a set of checklists or it could be a highly detailed series of step-by-step guides and reference sheets that all staff can refer to when they need to know something or how to do something. The key component for a well-written operations manual is that it is both useful and easy to use. Achieving this ensures the operations in fully utilized, will produce better-trained staff and faculty, provides for consistency in practice, and improves the experience of all who utilize your simulation center. This sounds simplistic but why even attempt creating anything that will not be fully used and implemented, and without making the manual easy to use and useful the efforts to make it are a waste of time.

Achieving Operations Manual Usefulness

1. Set the goals and objectives of the operations manual in collaboration with leadership.
2. Identify management, critical staff, and subject matter experts that need to be interviewed for relevant details to be included.
3. Identify relevant information to be included in the manual.

• Contact Lists: for all employees, departments, vendors, emergency numbers, and any others who may need to be contacted. Do not skimp on the details; provide phone numbers, alternative contacts, emails, title, department, and for whom they work.
• How to guides: This requires you get into the weeds and provide simple details about the practical steps of accomplishing any task. Nothing is too small in this regard, and exploring the daily practical steps of any task can often lead to the identification of issues that are overlooked or workarounds created that might have better solutions.
• Inventory: List all of your technologies, equipment, and other physical resources. Where they are stored, which rooms they are in, serial numbers, vendor information. Even for your medical supplies that are constantly changing, keep an inventory of what should be on hand to use against daily inventories.  
• Policies: Include policies that are relevant to the daily operations of your simulation center; usage policies, dress, ink pens around manikins, etc.
• Software/Applications: Include a small description of each application, its use and purpose, who to contact when issues arise, installation instructions, how-to-guides, licensing information, serial numbers, login access, administrative log-ins, update process. Note: It is best practice to have administrative log-ins restricted to only those that would normally have administrative access.
• Hardware: Computers, tablets, manikins, monitors, routers, task trainers, projectors, mics, cameras, etc. List each manufacturer, the serial number, model number.
• Manikins: When adding the high-fidelity manikins to your operations manual, consider listing the consumables, and replacement parts with order numbers. Personally, I create individual sections for each manufacture Laerdal, Gaumard, CAE, and then include each model the center has, with relevant maintenance, start-up and shut down procedures and other relevant details. This goes for low and mid-fidelity manikins as well.
• Network Map: Listing of all the network connection points in the facility, if your center has IP-based network cameras, list their static network numbers, and system names.
• Create Facility Maps: Like an emergency map, create a map with a visual of each room with the equipment, technology, furniture, and other resources in each room. Use names of systems for quick identification, or computer systems, manikins, task trainers, cameras, and other technical systems. If they do not have one, give each a name that is tied to a serial number.
• If it is stored, connected to, or used by your simulation center, then it should be fully defined in your manual. This includes network devices, connection points, etc. Much of this can be provided by those charged with their overall care.

Ease of use is about formatting and accessibility; compile all the documents into a 3-ring binder may not be good enough for ease of use, your organization may consider transferring it to an online format, making a DVD, or even placing it on a keychain USB drive. Create your manual, then consider enhancing the how-to-guides with video demonstrations. My personal favorite it digitizing the content, adding video demonstrations, and placing it all on the institutions Learning Management System, like Blackboard. Basically, create a single course, add all the faculty and staff to the course, create online assessments that complement the operations manual and ensure targeted audience has read through key components of your operations manual.

If you are looking to start building or improve your operations manual contact SETTI.CO. The interconnection between humanity and technology is our focus. Contact [email protected] and we can assist you in building an effective and fully utilized operations manual solution specifically designed for you facility and fully integrated with your current learning management system.

James D. Cypert, MSCP, BSIT, BSP, MCT, MCSE, MCP, MOUS, Network+, A+

Founder/CEO

[email protected]

951-377-3911