A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Simulation–Based versus Conventional Training Methods to Teach Patient Safety Competencies in Undergraduate Nursing Education

Amina Hemida Salem Ghattas; Radwa Hamdi Bakr

Volume : III, Issue : VII, July - 2014

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Simulation–Based versus Conventional Training Methods to Teach Patient Safety Competencies in Undergraduate Nursing Education

Amina Hemida Salem Ghattas, Radwa Hamdi Bakr

Abstract :

The alarming rise in morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients throughout the world increases concerns about health care professional competency. Nurses and other health care professionals are under increased pressure to provide safe and effective care. As a result, nursing programs are faced with increased demand to produce graduates capable of providing safe, efficient patient care. Toward that end, nursing education programs develop curricula, hire qualified faculty, and select learning experiences for students in an effort to train and graduate competent, effective nurses. The use of high fidelity simulation as an accepted substitute for traditional clinical learning experience over the past decade. However, little research evidence, in nursing, has documented the efficacy of these simulated learning experiences, particularly on objective outcomes such as examination performance. (Kohn & Corrigan & Donaldson, 2000) (Durham & Alden, 2008). Therefore this study was aimed to compare of the effectiveness of simulation - based to conventional training methods to teach patient safety competencies among students enrolled in critical care nursing course. Method: A randomized controlled design was used to conduct this study. One hundred students enrolled in the critical care course were included and randomly divided to two groups. Competency check lists with emphasizing on patient safety competencies were developed. Results: There was a statistically significant difference (P= 0.0001) between the two groups in relation to mastering the skills and attitudes related to patient safety. These differences were reflected in mean percent of knowledge, skills and attitude scores. Conclusions: It is necessary for simulation - based method to be fully integrated and used as a teaching method within nursing education programs at all stages. It is necessary to train the trainers through the development of a skilled faculty of expert clinical facilitators supported by adjunctive support staff in dedicated simulation suites.