Journal Article

Qualitative evaluation of a standardized patient clinical simulation for nurse practitioner and pharmacy students

Wilkerson, R. Gentry, Idzik, Shannon, Rocafort, P. Tim, Brandt, Nicole, Layson-Wolf, Cherokee, Windemuth, Brenda, Koo, Laura, Hammersla, Margaret, Tran, Deanna

2014

Overview

This article describes a qualitative evaluation of an interprofessional educational experience for nurse practitioner and pharmacy students using standardized patients and physicians role-playing physicians in clinical scenarios. This experience included the development of two clinical scenarios; training of standardized patients, providers, and faculty facilitators; pre-briefing preparation; partial facilitator prompting simulations; and facilitated debriefings. Forty-six students participated in the formative simulation. Small groups of students and faculty facilitators worked through two clinical scenarios that were based on the expected emergence of the patient-centered medical homes. The scenarios incorporated different interprofessional communication modes, including in-person, telephonic, and video-conferencing. Time-in/time-out debriefings were incorporated to provide guidance to students about how to engage in interprofessional collaboration. After completion of the scenarios, facilitated group debriefings allowed for reflection on communication strategies and roles. Immediately following the learning activity, 30 volunteer focus group participants provided comments anonymously in a semi-structured format. Conventional content analysis was used to identify overarching themes. Participants expressed improved understanding of individual roles, increased confidence, and a better sense of interprofessional support. The educational experience themes included the benefits of a realistic nature of the simulation and the need for improved student orientation to roles and expectations prior to the clinical simulations. •Evaluation of partial facilitator prompting interprofessional clinical simulations.•Nurse practitioner students & pharmacy students experienced two clinical scenarios.•Content analysis of data conducted from semi-structured focus group transcripts.•Students improved understanding of roles, interprofessional support & confidence.•Realistic clinical scenarios & improved student orientations are recommended.

• Publisher: Elsevier Ltd,Elsevier Limited
• Subject: Clinical training / College faculty / Colleges & universities / Communication / Communication strategies / Content analysis / Discourse strategies / Education, Nursing, Graduate / Education, Pharmacy, Graduate / Educational activities / Experience / Focus Groups / Graduate education / Graduate patient simulation / Hospitals / Humans / Interagency collaboration / Interdisciplinary aspects / Interdisciplinary Communication / Interdisciplinary communication education / Learning Strategies / Lifelong Learning / Nurse Practitioners - education / Nurses / Nursing students / Outcomes of Education / Patient safety / Patient Simulation / Patient-centered care / Patients / Pharmacy / Pharmacy students / Physicians / Practitioner patient relationship / Qualitative Research / Role playing / Simulation / Small groups / Standardized patients / Students / Students, Pharmacy / Teaching Methods / United States / Video conferencing