In the United States, the summer and winter holiday months see an increase in burn and trauma injuries[1]. From fireworks and sports injuries in July to cooking fires and icy falls in December, these periods put immense pressure on already busy emergency department (ED) teams. Compounding the challenge is the variety of injuries ED staff must be prepared to handle across all age groups. From minor burns, fractures, lacerations, contusions, and sprains to life-threatening conditions like heat-related illnesses and major trauma injuries, each presents a unique challenge.

ED staff must take a markedly different approach when treating adults and children. However, many emergency teams lack consistent opportunities to practice managing these high-risk, low-frequency cases, especially across such a diverse patient population. Training is essential to know how to respond effectively, and simulation offers a solution.

Through immersive, hands-on experiences, simulation equips ED staff with the specialized knowledge and skills needed to manage burn and trauma cases in both adult and pediatric patients. In this post, we explore how burn and trauma simulation can help ED teams develop, refine, and retain critical patient care skills and procedures, ensuring they are ready to respond confidently when the next seasonal surge hits.

Falls from ladders while decorating or slipping on ice can cause a wide range of injuries, including severe fractures and life-threatening head trauma.

Simulation Fills Critical Gaps in Burn and Trauma Injury Readiness

Although their occurrence is seasonal, most providers do not see burn or trauma injuries on every shift. Consequently, they may have limited recent hands-on experience with these specific procedures and protocols. Without regular and intentional practice, providers can lose confidence and skill in these areas[2]. Since these cases require quick and precise responses, a lack of experience can lead to mistakes and worse outcomes.

Simulation-based training bridges this gap by providing ED teams with a safe, controlled environment to practice patient care scenarios, such as treating an adult with severe burns from a cooking fire or managing a pediatric patient with blunt trauma after falling on ice. Unlike other simulators, Gaumard’s Adult HAL® and Pediatric HAL® simulators are fully tetherless and wireless, allowing teams to train in virtually any environment — whether in situ, during transport, or within the ED itself — offering unmatched flexibility, realism, and rapid deployment across care settings.

Adult and Pediatric HAL supports advanced neurological symptom simulation with realistic physical motion and audio cues, critical features not available with other simulators. This enables training for rare but high-risk neurological emergencies, including post-traumatic seizures or other head injury-related complications. They can also communicate pain, cry, and bleed due to severe burns, making the simulation much more engaging.

These features allow providers to practice burn and neurological assessments, skills vital to guiding treatment and support. Through these assessments, providers can identify the need to apply advanced protocols such as airway management, fluid resuscitation, or hemorrhage control, all of which can be practiced on the HAL simulators, applying what they have learned in the classroom hands-on.

Practicing these adult and pediatric protocols regularly through simulation helps providers be ready to care for patients of all ages, make decisions confidently, and collaborate effectively under pressure. This is especially crucial for emergency department staff, as the next patient could be an infant, a teenager, or an elderly person. Each group has unique physical and physiological characteristics that need specialized treatment approaches. Simulation-based training is essential for keeping clinicians current on the specific protocols required for each patient group.

Simulation allows ED staff to safely and repeatedly practice skills and complex procedures, improving their ability to respond effectively in real-world scenarios.

Simulation Prepares ED Teams to Deliver Life-Saving Adult Care

Simulation-based training provides a safe and realistic environment for ED teams to practice complex scenarios repeatedly. Unlike traditional classroom learning or clinical hours, where patient encounters are often opportunistic, simulation enables the planned, immediate hands-on application of theoretical knowledge. As a result, clinicians can practice complex procedures and decision-making, improving their ability to respond effectively.

For example, in fire-related scenarios, ED staff must quickly manage smoke inhalation injuries to the airway and treat burns on the body. HAL® S3201’s realistic airway anatomy and control software make it easy to simulate the changing physiology of a patient with fire-related injuries, including difficulty breathing and dynamic vital signs. Moulage can be applied to HAL to increase realism and support the practice of burn assessment and burn injury care protocols.

Many static airway models and patient simulators do not mimic real-time physiological responses. Hands-on working with HAL using real tools enables staff to observe the effects of their interventions. For example, HAL can show changes in respiratory rate or oxygen saturation if intubation is delayed or unsuccessful. They can then repeat the scenario and apply what they’ve learned to prevent that mistake.

Furthermore, staff experience the rapid pace and stress typical of these scenarios during simulation. Therefore, simulation not only helps staff improve their clinical skills but also enhances their ability to work under pressure and manage the stress of emergencies. This is essential for their psychological well-being and for providing high-quality patient care. Learning to handle stress is crucial for reducing staff turnover, especially among early-career physicians, who are most vulnerable to burnout.

In physical trauma scenarios, ED staff must coordinate across roles to quickly assess and manage injuries from falls or car crashes. Trauma HAL®’s features enable teams to rehearse trauma protocols, including primary and secondary surveys, wound packing to control bleeding, and TBI assessment. Because Trauma HAL is fully wireless and battery-powered, simulations can occur in situ with no setup delays or tangled equipment, making it ideal for trauma teams that require realism and speed.

Heat-related illnesses are urgent conditions that can quickly worsen without proper treatment. Through simulation, ED staff can practice recognizing early signs of heat illness and watch for complications like altered mental status. HAL® S5301’s control software lets facilitators adjust vital signs instantly, simulate confusion with expressive facial movements and voice, or advance the scenario with a seizure. These features, especially the facial expressions and speech, are not available in other simulators, making HAL S301 a more realistic tool for critical care training.

Furthermore, ED staff can utilize real tools and equipment on HAL, such as monitors, defibrillators, ventilators, and airway devices. HAL’s realistic anatomy, reactive vital signs, and dynamic airway responses make it easier to practice lifesaving procedures like intubation and defibrillation, which would not be possible with live patients. As a result, training feels more authentic and impactful, helping ED staff, especially newcomers, become familiar with system-level challenges and improving teamwork and communication.

This level of realism helps providers develop muscle memory for critical interventions while sharpening their clinical judgment under pressure. When staff are well-prepared through realistic and targeted training, they’re better able to deliver timely, life-saving care during real emergencies, leading to improved outcomes for adult patients facing some of the most severe and time-sensitive conditions.

Familiarity with pediatric-specific protocols for burn and trauma care is crucial for ED staff, especially those working in hospitals without dedicated pediatric specialists.

Pediatric Simulation Training Builds Skills in Critical Care

As previously mentioned, because severe pediatric trauma and burn cases are relatively rare, many providers go long periods without seeing them. Children have unique physical and physiological differences from adults that require specialized treatment and care approaches. Familiarity with pediatric-specific protocols for burn and trauma care is crucial for ED staff, especially those working in hospitals without dedicated pediatric specialists.

Patient simulators, such as the Pediatric HAL® series, can simulate age-specific anatomy, vital signs, and clinical responses. Thanks to their advanced features, ED staff can practice skills like airway management, IV access, wound care, and CPR on child-sized patients with realistic physiological feedback. This helps staff keep their skills sharp for time-sensitive, high-stress situations like near-drowning or multi-trauma incidents, without putting real patients at risk.

Moreover, these incidents can be extremely psychologically damaging to children, so part of providers’ duty is to engage with these patients empathetically and offer some form of psychological support. Pediatric HAL can speak and display emotions more realistically than any other pediatric simulator. This capability helps teams train to address pediatric emotional distress and improve patient-provider communication. Consequently, staff can better manage pediatric anxiety or distress during real-world emergencies.

Furthermore, Pediatric HAL enables the team to conduct primary and secondary surveys, perform immobilization, control hemorrhaging, and provide advanced life support in a manner that closely mirrors real-world conditions, all within a pediatric context. Team members can practice coordinating care, communicating under pressure, and making rapid decisions during these critical situations. This type of experiential learning is hard to achieve using traditional methods alone or with static manikins.

Therefore, simulation with Pediatric HAL is much more effective at helping staff retain and apply the pediatric protocols they have learned. Simulation promotes hands-on practice, critical thinking, and teamwork, all of which are essential for providing effective, timely care. This ultimately leads to better outcomes, increased staff preparedness, and improved patient safety, especially for one of the most vulnerable patient groups served by EDs.

Conclusion

The challenges faced by ED staff due to seasonal surges in burn and trauma injuries highlight the urgent need for consistent, high-quality training. Simulation offers ED teams an effective way to prepare for complex, high-stakes scenarios they are likely to encounter during the summer and winter holiday months. It provides hands-on, repeatable practice with both adult and pediatric patient simulators. Simulation bridges the gap between theory and real-world practice, enabling providers to sharpen their clinical skills, enhance teamwork, and build the confidence needed to respond quickly and effectively under pressure. Through simulation, providers can increase their preparedness, protect patients, and ensure they are ready throughout the year.

Click on the link to learn more about Gaumard’s series of adult and pediatric simulators, scenario content, and moulage kits.

[1] “Holiday Data and Statistics: Proven Need for Holiday Safety Awareness.” Electrical Safety Foundation International, 2022, https://www.esfi.org/holiday-data-and-statistics-proven-need-for-holiday-safety-awareness/.

[2] Cooper, Kay et al. “Absolute clinical skill decay in the medical, nursing and allied health professions: a scoping review protocol.” JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, vol. 15, no. 6, 2017, pp. 1522-1527.