School of Nursing Poster Presentations
Program Development of an End-of-Life Care Clinical Simulation Teaching Module
Poster Number
313
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
3-2016
Abstract
Background: The need for palliative and end-of-life care (EOLC) is rising sharply globally and in the US. Although death and dying theory is taught in pre-licensure nursing programs, quality clinical opportunities for hands-on experience caring for dying patients are rare. Studies demonstrate that a controlled, emotionally safe clinical simulation experience optimizes student learning about EOLC.
Objectives: This clinical simulation-based EOLC program development and evaluation provided students a hands-on simulation-based experience in care of the dying patient. Pre-and post-surveys measured whether change occurred in learner knowledge and attitudes toward this care using an instrument with established validity and reliability.
Methods: Participants (n=35) experienced a four-part clinical scenario alternating between intervention and guided reflection via debriefing. Change in learner knowledge and attitudes toward EOLC was measured anonymously using the Frommelt Attitudes toward Care of the Dying Scale (FATCOD) instrument before, immediately following and three weeks after the simulation experience.
Results: Study results indicate that the experiential learning of the EOLC simulation intervention increased student’s knowledge of and positive attitudes toward care of the dying, and answered the research questions posed in this study. In 12 out of 30 questions there was a statistically significant change in positivity in post-tests versus the pre-test. Areas showing positive knowledge improvement include the use of opioid medication for symptom management, comfort with the amount of time required in care of the dying as well as dynamics concerning family teaching and their involvement in the care of their dying member. Increased attitude positivity was shown concerning personal discomfort when communicating about death with dying patients, being present at the time of a patient’s death and fear of establishing close relationships with dying patients.
Conclusions: With EOLC-related content being added to the 2016 NCLEX-RN exam the demand for EOLC training in pre-licensure programs is growing, as are nursing school enrollments nationwide. Simulation-based EOLC training is effective, but not efficient, and in some cases, not feasible. The use of state-of-the-art online instructional technologies to create structured ELNEC-based EOLC simulation experiences targeted specifically to pre-licensure nursing students will provide a consistent and efficient means to deliver sensitive content to a greater number of students while conserving key faculty resources and managing curricular imperatives, especially in accelerated BSN programs. One key barrier to training students in EOLC is lack of faculty training in this area which is being addressed by ELNEC and AACN.
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Open Access
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Program Development of an End-of-Life Care Clinical Simulation Teaching Module
Background: The need for palliative and end-of-life care (EOLC) is rising sharply globally and in the US. Although death and dying theory is taught in pre-licensure nursing programs, quality clinical opportunities for hands-on experience caring for dying patients are rare. Studies demonstrate that a controlled, emotionally safe clinical simulation experience optimizes student learning about EOLC.
Objectives: This clinical simulation-based EOLC program development and evaluation provided students a hands-on simulation-based experience in care of the dying patient. Pre-and post-surveys measured whether change occurred in learner knowledge and attitudes toward this care using an instrument with established validity and reliability.
Methods: Participants (n=35) experienced a four-part clinical scenario alternating between intervention and guided reflection via debriefing. Change in learner knowledge and attitudes toward EOLC was measured anonymously using the Frommelt Attitudes toward Care of the Dying Scale (FATCOD) instrument before, immediately following and three weeks after the simulation experience.
Results: Study results indicate that the experiential learning of the EOLC simulation intervention increased student’s knowledge of and positive attitudes toward care of the dying, and answered the research questions posed in this study. In 12 out of 30 questions there was a statistically significant change in positivity in post-tests versus the pre-test. Areas showing positive knowledge improvement include the use of opioid medication for symptom management, comfort with the amount of time required in care of the dying as well as dynamics concerning family teaching and their involvement in the care of their dying member. Increased attitude positivity was shown concerning personal discomfort when communicating about death with dying patients, being present at the time of a patient’s death and fear of establishing close relationships with dying patients.
Conclusions: With EOLC-related content being added to the 2016 NCLEX-RN exam the demand for EOLC training in pre-licensure programs is growing, as are nursing school enrollments nationwide. Simulation-based EOLC training is effective, but not efficient, and in some cases, not feasible. The use of state-of-the-art online instructional technologies to create structured ELNEC-based EOLC simulation experiences targeted specifically to pre-licensure nursing students will provide a consistent and efficient means to deliver sensitive content to a greater number of students while conserving key faculty resources and managing curricular imperatives, especially in accelerated BSN programs. One key barrier to training students in EOLC is lack of faculty training in this area which is being addressed by ELNEC and AACN.
Comments
Presented at: GW Research Days 2016