Over a period of two weeks, nearly 150 nursing majors at ÍâÍøÁÔÆæ’s Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies participated in a 20-station simulation experience. A component of the required capstone course, the simulations exposed seniors to specialty areas they otherwise might not see in their final clinical rotations. The event involved close collaboration between nursing faculty, simulation staff, and graduate students.
The learning experience served two purposes. On one hand, the simulations provided a comprehensive review of previous learning, reminding students of material that they had not seen in a while. On the other hand, they engaged students in the sort of critical thinking that is fundamental to the nursing profession. Specifically, students applied knowledge from previous learning to case studies they had not seen.
“Because students in clinicals are placed on units, those who are assigned to, say, maternity care may not see high-volume med-surg topics or blood transfusions or morgue care,” said Katherine Saracino, DNP, RN, dean of undergraduate studies at the Egan School. “We wanted to make sure that students got exposure to every specialty area, regardless of where they were placed.”
The simulation scenarios were chosen with great care, taking into consideration both the volume and stakes of cases within healthcare settings. During the simulations, students used a 15-page documentation tool to write assessments, track medication intake, and show dosage calculations. The entire experience was designed to replicate the clinical environment.
In addition to activating prior learning and critical thinking, the simulations also offered an occasion for students to identify areas of struggle and strength.
“It was a good learning opportunity for students to say, ‘I’m really good at this, or that was hard for me,’” said Dr. Saracino. “The students then have the rest of the semester to focus on growth to help them prepare for the [licensure exam] and their first job in nursing.”
Senior nursing majors and Master’s Entry to Practice Nursing (MEPN) students attended two sets of 10 simulations, one per week during the two-week period, logging a total of 10 simulation hours. To make the most of their lab time, they completed preparatory work prior to class, and debriefs were held at the end of each session.
Creating the two-week experience was a logistically complex task that required a lot of people and planning. Faculty organizers and simulation staff designed scenarios, trained standardized patients, equipped lab stations, and coordinated schedules.
To alleviate potential staffing issues, Dr. Saracino worked with the graduate program to recruit advanced practice nursing students. The strategy worked well and benefited both groups: simulation organizers were able to have two instructors for each session and graduate students were able to count the experience toward immersion hours for their master’s and doctoral degrees.
“It was a great collaboration,” said Dr. Saracino. “Graduate students were able to get up to 20 immersion hours for leadership and clinical activity, and Egan could use our own graduate students with a variety of clinical experiences to address learning for all parties involved.
The comprehensive simulation event was first introduced by Associate Professor Mary Murphy, PhD, APRN, FNP. Initially a single eight-hour session, she designed it for students in the Accelerated Second-Degree Nursing (ASDNU) program. Though the form has evolved over the past six years, the function has not. It remains a reliable learning experience for students in the ASDNU, MEPN, and traditional undergraduate nursing programs.
“It’s a lot to coordinate,” Dr. Saracino added, “but there’s a lot of value in it.”
