Simulation in the intensive care setting

About 10 years ago, the first human patient simulators were introduced to intensive care units (ICUs). Since then, there has been a rapid development of both technical and non-technical aspects in medical education. The aim of this review is to elaborate how simulation training is already used in the intensive care setting, the role of different types of commercially available mannequins and which benefits can be achieved for participants by using this teaching method. Furthermore, a practical example describes how a simulation curriculum can be designed, which challenges might need to be faced and which steps need to be taken to make the most out of the training. Human patient simulation is an effective tool in the education of health-care professionals and will surely become an important part in the training of ICU physicians as well.