Medication Safety of Patients With Parkinson's Disease During Care Transitions: Educating Nursing Students.

The purpose of this study was to increase awareness and educate undergraduate nursing students and clinical faculty regarding the importance of missed or omitted Parkinson's disease medications during care transitions. To improve quality and safety among this vulnerable population, an innovative, simulated unfolding case study focusing on incomplete medication reconciliation and omission of time-sensitive medications was conducted. Second-degree BSN students (n = 94) and clinical faculty (n = 7) participated in the study. Pretest/posttest results were compared. Findings indicated increased understanding among students and faculty regarding the impact of medication reconciliation and the timely administration of Parkinson's disease medication.

Exposing Baccalaureate Nursing Students to Transitional Care.

Management and facilitation of care transitions from hospital to alternative settings requires skill and attention to avoid adverse events. Several interprofessional organizations and nurse leaders have called for the expansion and redesign of undergraduate nursing curricula to include care transitions. Yet there is little evidence describing how undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students are educated on this critical topic or how successful they are in improving student knowledge about care transitions. To address this gap, an in-classroom and clinical experience was implemented to prepare students to manage and facilitate care transitions from the hospital to alternative settings-including the home. Perceptions of undergraduate nursing students and home healthcare nurse preceptors were assessed via an electronic survey that was emailed to participants. Forty-eight responses to the survey were received. Students agreed this experience contributed to their understanding of caring for adults and older adults who are experiencing a care transition and they had a good understanding of care transitions to apply to their future nursing courses. Home healthcare nurse preceptors agreed they were able to demonstrate transitional care and that students were engaged. Future work should include expanding transitional care immersion to other care settings as well as the inclusion of additional healthcare disciplines in care transition education.