Simulation in healthcare : journal of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Enhancing graduate nurses' health assessment knowledge and skills using low-fidelity adult human simulation.
Although simulation technology in nursing education is becoming increasingly commonplace, a review of the literature reveals a paucity of rigorous, high-level research comparing the effectiveness of simulation with other traditional education methods in the acquisition of clinical knowledge and skills. This research aimed to investigate the impact of three learning interventions on graduate nurse health assessment knowledge and skills. It was hypothesized that the patient assessment skills of graduate nurses who completed a simulation learning activity would be superior to those who completed traditional education activities. ⋯ Simulation appears to be an effective educational tool for teaching patient assessment knowledge and skills to graduate nurses. Incorporation of such technology into graduate nurse education may decrease the time required to become clinically proficient, resulting in more confident and work-ready practitioners.
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The University of Virginia School of Medicine discontinued animal vivisection in February 2004 for teaching lifesaving procedures to third-year medical students. Consequently, a 1-day course using simulation technology was developed to meet objectives previously covered in the animal laboratory. The authors sought to evaluate the course and hypothesized that the students' confidence in lifesaving procedures as well as their acceptance of simulation technology as a teaching tool would increase. ⋯ This lifesaving techniques course utilizing simulation technology successfully covered objectives previously taught with animal vivisection, increased students' confidence levels in performing lifesaving procedures and was highly accepted by the medical students.
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Virtual reality simulation has been identified as an emerging educational tool with significant potential to enhance teaching of residents and students in emergency clinical encounters and procedures. Endotracheal intubation represents a critical procedure for emergency care providers. ⋯ This realistic and dynamic model is used to teach routine intubations, while future models will include more difficult airway management scenarios. This work provides a solid foundation for future versions of the intubation simulator, which will incorporate two haptic devices to allow for simultaneous control of the laryngoscope blade and endotracheal tube.
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Simulation is a technique-not a technology-to replace or amplify real experiences with guided experiences that evoke or replicate substantial aspects of the real world in a fully interactive manner. The diverse applications of simulation in healthcare can be categorized by 11 dimensions: aims and purposes of the simulation activity; unit of participation; experience level of participants; healthcare domain; professional discipline of participants; type of knowledge, skill, attitudes, or behaviors addressed; the simulated patient's age; technology applicable or required; site of simulation; extent of direct participation; and method of feedback used. ⋯ Various driving forces and implementation mechanisms can be expected to propel simulation forward, including professional societies, liability insurers, healthcare payers, and ultimately the public. The future of simulation in healthcare depends on the commitment and ingenuity of the healthcare simulation community to see that improved patient safety using this tool becomes a reality.