Nursing Students Reported More Positive Emotions about Training during COVID-19 After Using a Virtual Simulation Paired with an In-person Simulation

Background Virtual simulations (VS) are educational tools that can help overcome the limitations of in-person learning highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has illustrated that VS can support learning, but little is known about the usability of VS as a distance learning tool. Research on students' emotions about VS is also scarce, despite the influence of emotions on learning. Methods A quantitative longitudinal study was conducted with undergraduate nursing students. 18 students participated in a hybrid learning experience involving a virtual simulation (VS) followed by an in-person simulation. Students completed questionnaires about their emotions, perceived success, and usability and received a performance score from the VS. Results Nursing students reported statistically significant improvements in their emotions about completing their program after completing both VS and in-person simulations compared to their emotions before the pair of simulations. Emotions directed toward the VS were weak-to-moderate in strength, but predominantly positive. Positive emotions were positively associated with nursing students' performance. Findings replicated "okay” approaching "good” usability ratings from a recent study with key methodological differences that used the same software. Conclusions VS can be an emotionally positive, effective, efficient, and satisfying distance learning supplement to traditional simulations.

Remote monitoring of patients with heart failure during the first national lockdown for COVID-19 in France.

Aims: Multiparametric remote monitoring of patients with heart failure (HF) has the potential to mitigate the health risks of lockdowns for COVID-19. We aimed to compare healthcare use, physiological variables, and HF decompensations during 1 month before and during the first month of the first French national lockdown for COVID-19 among patients undergoing remote monitoring. Methods and results: Transmitted vital parameters and data from cardiac implantable electronic devices were analysed in 51 patients. Medical contact was defined as the sum of visits and days of hospitalization. The lockdown was associated with a marked decrease in cardiology medical contact (118 days before vs. 26 days during, -77%, P = 0.003) and overall medical contact (180 days before vs. 79 days during, -58%, P = 0.005). Patient adherence with remote monitoring was 84 ± 21% before and 87 ± 19% during lockdown. The lockdown was not associated with significant changes in various parameters, including physical activity (2 ± 1 to 2 ± 1 h/day), weight (83 ± 16 to 83 ± 16 kg), systolic blood pressure (121 ± 19 to 121 ± 18 mmHg), heart rate (68 ± 10 to 67 ± 10 b.p.m.), heart rate variability (89 ± 44 to 78 ± 46 ms, P = 0.05), atrial fibrillation burden (84 ± 146 vs. 86 ± 146 h/month), or thoracic impedance (66 ± 8 to 66 ± 9 Ω). Seven cases of HF decompensations were observed before lockdown, all but one of which required hospitalization, vs. six during lockdown, all but one of which were managed remotely. Conclusions: The lockdown restrictions caused a marked decrease in healthcare use but no significant change in the clinical status of HF patients under multiparametric remote monitoring.