Integrated virtual simulation and face-to-face simulation for clinical judgment training among undergraduate nursing students: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Virtual simulation and face-to-face simulation are effective for clinical judgment training. Rare studies have tried to improve clinical judgment ability by applying virtual simulation and face-to-face simulation together. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an integrated non-immersive virtual simulation and high-fidelity face-to-face simulation program on enhancing nursing students' clinical judgment ability and understanding of nursing students' experiences of the combined simulation. METHODS: A sequential exploratory mixed-methods study was conducted in a nursing simulation center of a university in Central China. Third-year nursing students (n = 122) taking clinical training in ICUs were subsequentially assigned to the integrated non-immersive virtual simulation and high-fidelity face-to-face simulation program arm (n = 61) or the face-to-face simulation-only arm (n = 61) according to the order in which they entered in ICU training. Clinical judgment ability was measured by the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR). Focus group interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data. RESULTS: Students in both arms demonstrated significant improvement in clinical judgment ability scores after simulation, and students in the integrated arm reported more improvement than students in the face-to-face simulation-only arm. The qualitative quotes provided a context for the quantitative improvement measured by the LJCR in the integrated arm. Most of the quantitative findings were confirmed by qualitative findings, including the domains and items in the LJCR. The findings verified and favored the effect of the combination of non-immersive virtual simulation and high-fidelity face-to-face simulation integrated program on enhancing nursing students' clinical judgment ability. CONCLUSIONS: The integrated virtual simulation and face-to-face simulation program was feasible and enhanced nursing students' self-reported clinical judgment ability. This integrated non-immersive virtual simulation and high-fidelity face-to-face simulation program may benefit nursing students and newly graduated nurses in the ICU more than face-to-face simulation only.

The impact of simulation-based triage education on nursing students' self-reported clinical reasoning ability: A quasi-experimental study.

Few studies have comprehensively examined the effectiveness of simulation-based triage education on clinical reasoning of nursing students. This study evaluated the impact of a simulation-based triage exercise on nursing students' self-reported clinical reasoning ability. Three cohorts of third-year nursing students were divided into intervention group a (IG a, n = 62), intervention group b (IG b, n = 57), and a control group (CG, n = 53). Students in IG a and IG b participated in a simulation-based triage education consisting of 2 h of multiple patient triage simulations and an hour of structured debriefing. The CG participated in a traditional didactic triage course consisting of a 3-h lecture. Self-reported clinical reasoning ability in pre and post-triage education was measured by the Nurses Clinical Reasoning Scale. There was no significant difference in mean clinical reasoning ability scores between the three groups in pre-test (p > 0.05). Clinical reasoning ability scores in post-test among students in IG a and IG b were significantly higher than those in CG (p < 0.001). Nursing students exposed to a simulation-based triage education had more improvement in self-reported clinical reasoning ability as compared with students who participated in a lecture-based triage education program.

Survey of Chinese persons managing depressive symptoms: Help-seeking behaviours and their influencing factors.

OBJECTIVES: To explore help-seeking behaviours of Chinese persons managing depressive symptoms and factors that influence these behaviours. METHODS: A survey of residents living in communities in Wuhan, China was conducted using stratified random sampling. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), the Actual Help-Seeking Questionnaire (AHSQ) and a socio-demographic questionnaire were completed by participants. Descriptive statistics were analyzed. A multiple linear regression model was used to explore factors associated with help-seeking behaviours. RESULTS: Of the 1785 respondents, 672 (37.6%) reported that they experienced depressive symptoms during the past year, and of these respondents, 517 (76.9%) indicated that they sought assistance. Among help-seeking sources utilized by participants, informal help was sought most frequently (72.9%), followed by hotline/Internet assistance (14.3%), mental health professionals (MHPs) (7.9%) and general physicians (GPs) (3.7%). The results of multilinear regression analysis showed that participants who were adults (aged 25-64 years), attended junior and high school (7-12 years education), and lived in urban areas were more likely to seek additional assistance for their depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Mental health promotion and education efforts are needed to improve the public's mental health literacy and to promote appropriate utilization of informal sources of assistance in managing depressive symptoms such as a hotline or the Internet. Further interventions need to be considered to reinforce use of social supports and mental health professionals, especially in rural areas.

Standardised simulation-based emergency and intensive care nursing curriculum to improve nursing students' performance during simulated resuscitation: A quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Simulation-based curriculum has been demonstrated as crucial to nursing education in the development of students' critical thinking and complex clinical skills during a resuscitation simulation. Few studies have comprehensively examined the effectiveness of a standardised simulation-based emergency and intensive care nursing curriculum on the performance of students in a resuscitation simulation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a standardised simulation-based emergency and intensive care nursing curriculum on nursing students' response time in a resuscitation simulation. DESIGN: Two-group, non-randomised quasi-experimental design. SETTING: A simulation centre in a Chinese University School of Nursing. PARTICIPANTS: Third-year nursing students (N = 39) in the Emergency and Intensive Care course were divided into a control group (CG, n = 20) and an experimental group (EG, n = 19). METHODS: The experimental group participated in a standardised high-technology, simulation-based emergency and intensive care nursing curriculum. The standardised simulation-based curriculum for third-year nursing students consists of three modules: disaster response, emergency care, and intensive care, which include clinical priorities (e.g. triage), basic resuscitation skills, airway/breathing management, circulation management and team work with eighteen lecture hours, six skill-practice hours and twelve simulation hours. The control group took part in the traditional curriculum. This course included the same three modules with thirty-four lecture hours and two skill-practice hours (trauma). RESULTS: Perceived benefits included decreased median (interquartile ranges, IQR) seconds to start compressions [CG 32 (25-75) vs. EG 20 (18-38); p < 0.001] and defibrillation [CG 204 (174-240) vs. EG 167 (162-174); p < 0.001] at the end of the course, compared with compressions [CG 41 (32-49) vs. EG 42 (33-46); p > 0.05] and defibrillation [CG 222 (194-254) vs. EG 221 (214-248); p > 0.05] at the beginning of the course. CONCLUSION: A simulation-based emergency and intensive care nursing curriculum was created and well received by third-year nursing students and associated with decreased response time in a resuscitation simulation.