Create your own Google Slide “room” for any Sim case you would like to run. This might take a little bit more time, but shouldn’t be too challenging once you get the hang of it.
1. Choose or Write your Case
- Before you start, check to see if a case has already been created for the VRR (check out the Ready to Run Cases)
- If not: see if a case is already published on: https://emsimcases.com/.
- If you need to start from scratch: you can use resources like First10EM, Life in the Fast Lane, Don’t Forget the Bubbles, or EMCases to help you write your case.
- I like to use this simple template to keep the case easy to read and use for our facilitators. You could also try using the EM Sim Cases template.
2. Create your new Google Slide Set Room
- We recommend creating 2 Google Slides documents: one for your rough work, and another to be your final room for sim day.
- Go to Google Slides
- Click + sign to create blank document
- Change your share settings to “anyone with link can edit”
3. Borrow from other cases or use the Building Blocks to get started
- See if there are similar cases in the “Ready to Run” cases section that you can use as an example or to borrow slides from.
- Use these Building Blocks Slides to see an inventory of slides that have already been created for the VRR (meds, airway slides, procedures, physical exam, POCUS, etc).
- Choose the slide you would like to use
- Copy this slide (right click over the slide in thumbnails, then select copy)
- Paste this slide into your Google slide document
4. Create your own slides
This is the fun and creative part! Here are some tips:
- Create “slide background”: The background layer is the non-modifiable image that includes everything you don’t want learners to be able to interact with (ex: click, drag, resize). To create a slide background:
- Create the background you would like in another slide.
- Take screenshot (Mac: command-shift-4-select area). This will save as image.
- Insert this image as slide background in your room.
- Cover this background with all the “moveable” parts (textboxes, images of monitors, rhythm strips, etc).
- Consider adding gifs so video plays continuously/on a loop.
- Can easily convert a video to a gif using a website like this.
- Add gifs and images by clicking and dragging onto the slide, or using insert – image – choose.
- Adding videos and audio: Import into Google Drive. Change share settings to “anyone with link can edit”. Then insert into Google Slides on appropriate page (insert – video – choose from drive).
- References: make sure to save the links of where you find investigations, physical exam findings, etc. I only use images/videos that I have found in open-access sources. I try to avoid use of brand-names and cover manufacture labels whenever possible. I like to store my references on the last slide of the room.
5. Final Touches
- Final check: Cross reference your case to ensure you have all the appropriate physical exam findings, investigations, rhythm strips, etc.
- Hide any spoilers: Add grey boxes to cover up anything you don’t want learners to see right away (ex: exam findings, test results, etc). This box can be found in building blocks slide.
- Name your Google Slide document: Name it something generic (like date of sim). Make sure it doesn’t include diagnosis in the title!
- Save unused case: When room is finalized, save it. Google Slides – File – Version History – Name Version – Name it “Unused Case”.
- Share Settings: Click Yellow Share button (top right hand corner). Change to “anyone with link to edit”. This will allow your learners to interact with document.
6. Share your work
If you prepare a room for a new case and would like to share – please get in touch so we can post it here!
