Innovations in virtual education for clinical and simulation learning.

The global impact of COVID-19 forced nursing education to provide an alternative for scheduled clinical experiences during the Spring and Fall of 2020. Many programs selected the pre-packaged, web-based solutions at the onset of the pandemic due to the uncertainty and recommendation of social distancing. Clinical and simulation faculty began to look for educational alternatives to provide meaningful learning experiences that more closely replicated clinical learning because students expressed displeasure with the asynchronous web-based options. This article outlines how an innovative partnership between clinical faculty, simulation faculty, and the Theatre Department modified an in-person simulation activity designed for groups of two students into a web-based "clinical" experience that included the assigned clinical faculty, eight nursing students, and one simulated patient. This active learning strategy was able to meet the course objectives, required little additional resources, and most importantly, underwent positive evaluation by the weary, screen-based learners.

Findings from a human roles terminology survey: consensus or chaos?

Background: Terminology describing humans' roles in simulation varies widely. Inconsistent nomenclature is problematic because it inhibits use of a common language, impacting development of a cohesive body of knowledge. Methods: A literature search was completed to identify terms used to describe roles played by humans in simulation-based education. Based on these findings, a survey was created to explore the terminology used by simulation educators and researchers to describe human roles in simulation and the perceived need for a consistent nomenclature. Results: Results demonstrated wide variability in terminology, including terms such as standardised patient, simulated patient, simulated participants, confederate, embedded actor and scenario role player. Conclusion: Creation of a cohesive body of knowledge for human roles in simulation requires use of common terminology, yet findings suggest a complex landscape of terminology. Building consensus on the terminology describing human roles in simulation can clarify understanding of best practice and allow for advancement in the research and state of the science in simulation-based education.

Avstick: An Intravenous Catheter Insertion Simulator for Use with Standardized Patients.

An overwhelming majority of hospitalized patients undergo intravenous (IV) catheter insertion in order to receive hydration and necessary medication. Current IV insertion training techniques include manikins that are unable to react or give feedback to the trainee. The Avstick® is a realistic training device that can be worn by an actor, allowing a nurse trainee to perform an IV catheter insertion on a live patient without causing the person harm. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Avstick in nursing education to increase nurse-patient communication and trainee self-efficacy.

Interprofessional Education Using a Palliative Care Simulation.

This quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study measured self-efficacy, attitudes toward physician-nurse collaboration, and interprofessional competencies as outcomes of a palliative care simulation. Based on experience level, teams of participants, 1 consisting of nursing/medical students and the other of nursing/medical health care professionals, completed a palliative care simulation as part of their education. Self-efficacy and attitudes toward physician-nurse collaboration were measured before and after simulation. Interprofessional competency was measured during the simulation. The results revealed a significant improvement in the previously mentioned measures, and interprofessional competency scores varied by profession and evaluator.

Preparedness for clinical: evaluation of the core elements of the Clinical Immersion curriculum model.

The Clinical Immersion Model is an innovative baccalaureate nursing curriculum that has demonstrated successful outcomes over the past 10 years. For those intending to adopt the model, individual components in isolation may prove ineffective. This article describes three core components of the curriculum that form the foundation of preparation for the senior-year clinical immersion. Detailed student-centered outcomes evaluation of these critical components is shared. Results of a mixed-methods evaluation, including surveys and focus groups, are presented. Implications of this curricular evaluation and future directions are explored.

Attitudes of Nurse and Physician trainees towards an interprofessional simulated education experience on Pain Assessment and Management.

An interprofessional group of educators from multiple institutions piloted a simulation-based learning experience focusing on acute pain management. The participants in the program were resident physicians-novice nurse dyads, and medical student-nursing student dyads from large universities and a magnet health care system. Each dyad was challenged to assess and manage acute pain in a simulated hospitalized patient using effective collaboration skills. The simulations included pre-debriefing, simulation, and a debriefing session. Participants completed pre- and post-surveys measuring confidence in pain management and attitudes toward physician-nurse collaboration. There was a significant positive shift in the confidence of the learners' ability to assess and manage acute pain in a hospitalized patient after the simulation and debriefing (23.2% strongly agreed versus 7% at baseline). Participants' attitudes regarding education to enhance interprofessional collaboration improved after the simulation experience (83.9% strongly agreed versus 73.7% at baseline). Based on these encouraging findings, we are extending this interprofessional experience to a larger group of learners with the same targeted dyads.