• Amy L Seybert and Sandra L Kane-Gill.
• University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, USA. seyberta@upmc.edu
• Am J Pharm Educ. 2011 Apr 11; 75 (3): 54.

ObjectiveTo enhance students' knowledge of and critical-thinking skills in the management of acutely ill patients using online independent learning partnered with high-fidelity patient simulation sessions.DesignStudents enrolled in the Acute Care Simulation watched 10 weekly Web-based video presentations on various critical care and advanced cardiovascular pharmacotherapy topics. After completing each online module, all students participated in groups in patient-care simulation exercises in which they prepared a pharmacotherapeutic plan for the patient, recommended this plan to the patient's physician, and completed a debriefing session with the facilitator.AssessmentStudents completed a pretest and posttest before and after each simulation exercise, as well as midterm and final evaluations and a satisfaction survey. Pharmacy students significantly improved their scores on 9 of the 10 tests (p ≤ 0.05). Students' performance on the final evaluation improved compared with performance on the midterm evaluation. Overall, students were satisfied with the unique dual approach to learning and enjoyed the realistic patient-care environment that the simulation laboratory provided.ConclusionParticipation in an elective course that combined self-directed Web-based learning and hands-on patient simulation exercises increased pharmacy students' knowledge and critical-thinking skills in acute care.

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