Simulation Scenario Template
Download the Simulation Scenario Template Here: Simulation Scenario Template
Why a Template?
Simulation is a powerful educational tool — but its effectiveness depends on careful, consistent planning. A well-documented scenario ensures that every learner has the same foundational experience regardless of who is running the simulation, who is operating the manikin, or which day of the week the session takes place.
The Simulation Scenario Template exists to support that consistency. It provides a shared structure that benefits everyone involved in the simulation process — from the faculty member who designs the scenario to the Simulation Lab staff who set up the room to the standardized patient who portrays the case to the facilitator who leads the debrief. When all this information lives in one organized document, scenarios become easier to plan, run, and revisit, or hand off to someone else.
For the Simulation Lab staff, the template eliminates ambiguity. Staff know exactly which room to prepare, which equipment and supplies are needed, how the simulator should be configured, which vitals to display, and what the patient should look like before learners ever walk through the door. This reduces the back-and-forth communication between faculty and staff and helps prevent the last-minute scrambles that can disrupt a session.
For faculty, the template serves as both a planning tool and a lasting record. Completing it thoughtfully clarifies the learning objectives, the scenario logic, and the debrief plan before the session runs—not during it. Scenarios documented in this format can be revised, shared with colleagues, adapted for future cohorts, and submitted for peer review or accreditation. A completed template is also the fastest way to bring a co-facilitator or guest instructor up to speed on a scenario they did not develop.
How to Use the Template
The template is organized into eight sections, each capturing a different aspect of the scenario. You do not need to complete every field in every section — the template is designed to be adapted to your program's needs. Rows and tables can be added, combined, or deleted if they are not relevant to your scenario or discipline (see Adapting the Template below).
Section 1 — Scenario Demographics
This section captures the administrative and identifying information for your scenario: the title, patient demographics, development team, version number, and estimated timing for setup, simulation, and debrief. The date fields for Approved and Reviewed are for Simulation Lab office use and will be completed by staff.
Section 2 — Curriculum Integration
Here, you identify who the scenario is designed for (program, discipline, level), where it fits in the curriculum, where it will take place in the sim center, and what clinical setting it represents. You will also define your educational goals and learning objectives — the core of the scenario's educational purpose. Objectives should be specific and measurable, written as actions learners should be able to perform by the end of the simulation. Aim for two to five objectives. A brief scenario synopsis (one to five sentences) rounds out this section.
Section 3 — Setup
This section is primarily used by Simulation Lab staff to prepare the environment before your learners arrive. It specifies the room number(s), patient type (high-fidelity manikin, low-fidelity manikin, task trainer, standardized patient, or hybrid), simulator and bed type, body position, clothing and props, IV access, wounds or dressings, moulage, ID wristband information, patient monitoring setup, initial vital signs, and all required equipment and supplies. The more detail you provide here, the more efficiently the staff can prepare the room to your exact vision. Use the Additional Setup/Environmental Notes field to describe how equipment should be arranged.
Section 4 — Prebrief
This section contains the script you (or a co-facilitator) will read to learners before the simulation begins. It includes the scenario introduction, an orientation to the simulation environment and available equipment, the fiction contract, communication expectations, a psychological safety statement, and the approximate timing for the scenario and debrief. Having this written out in advance supports a consistent prebrief experience across multiple sessions and facilitators.
Section 5 — Learner Materials
Use this section for any documents learners will have access to during the simulation — most commonly the patient chart. The chart includes fields for the patient's name, date of birth, chief complaint, height, weight, triage/intake note, initial vital signs, history of present illness, past medical and surgical history, medications, allergies, family history, social history, and additional notes. Include only the information learners need at the start of the scenario.
Section 6 — Scenario Information
This section is for the simulation team — not for learners. It includes:
- Scenario Plot for the Facilitator — a detailed narrative of what happens in the scenario, including clinical reasoning and expected decision points.
- Facilitator Notes — additional guidance for managing the scenario.
- Standardized Patient (SP) Guidance — if your scenario uses an SP, this table provides everything the SP needs to portray the role convincingly: patient overview, personality and affect, speech and communication style, emotional state, behavioral cues, embedded cues, what information to volunteer versus withhold, how to respond to key learner actions, physical exam responses, and attire or appearance. This table can be deleted if your scenario does not use SPs.
- Embedded Participants (EPs) — if your scenario includes embedded participants (such as a family member or consulting physician), this section provides role-specific information for each EP. Role cards can be printed, cut, and handed directly to each EP before the session. This table can be deleted if your scenario does not use EPs.
- Manikin Operator Script — a cue-response table that guides the operator in delivering patient dialogue and adjusting simulator behavior based on learner actions. This section can be omitted if your scenario does not use a manikin.
- Scenario Progression — a phase-by-phase breakdown of the scenario, including vital signs, physical assessment findings, patient presentation, expected learner actions, operator notes, and the conditions that trigger a transition to the next phase. A baseline phase and two additional phases are provided; copy and paste the table to add more phases, or delete the tables entirely if your scenario does not use a phased progression.
Section 7 — Debrief Plan
The debrief is often where the deepest learning occurs. This section follows the PEARLS framework (Setting the Scene → Reaction → Description → Analysis → Summary), a structured debriefing method developed at the Center for Medical Simulation that integrates multiple evidence-based approaches into a single flexible framework. Research supports PEARLS as particularly effective because it balances learner self-assessment with facilitator-guided feedback, allowing the debrief to adapt in real time to the group's needs rather than following a rigid script. Studies have shown that this combination — giving learners space to reflect first, then layering in focused facilitation or directed teaching where gaps exist — leads to deeper clinical reasoning, stronger retention, and greater psychological safety compared to purely instructor-led feedback models.
That said, PEARLS is a recommendation, not a requirement. Faculty who have an established debriefing method that works well for their learners and program are encouraged to revise this section accordingly. Whatever method your program uses, the debrief plan should reflect what you know about your learners and what best supports their growth. The structure of Section 7 can be reorganized, relabeled, or replaced entirely to fit your preferred method.
Section 8 — References
List any clinical guidelines, evidence-based resources, or curriculum documents that informed the scenario's content. This supports academic rigor and makes it easier for future developers to update the scenario as best practices evolve.
Adapting the Template
The template is a starting point, not a rigid requirement. It was designed to be flexible enough to support a wide range of programs, disciplines, and simulation modalities.
- Rows can be added to any table if your scenario requires information not captured by the existing fields.
- Rows can be combined if two fields naturally overlap in your context.
- Rows can be deleted if a field is not applicable to your program or scenario type.
- Entire tables can be deleted — for example, the SP Guidance table if you are using a manikin only, the EP table if no embedded participants are involved, or the Manikin Operator Script if you are running an SP-only scenario.
- Additional phases can be added to the Scenario Progression by copying and pasting the phase table.
If you find that you regularly add or remove the same fields across multiple scenarios, reach out to the Simulation Lab team — the template can be updated to better reflect your program's standard needs.
Questions?
Contact the Simulation Lab team at cphsim@temple.edu for assistance with completing the template, scheduling your scenario, or scheduling standardized patients.