Journal Article

The Educational Effects of a Pregnancy Simulation in Medical/Nursing Students and Professionals

Ko, Hyun Sun, Park, In Yang, Chung, Yoohyun, Yu, Jeeyoon, Lee, Jung Eum, Suh, Dae Hun, Shin, Jong Chul, Wie, Jeong Ha

2019

Overview

Background The objective of this study was to investigate whether a pregnancy experience program (PREP) simulating physical changes in a mother during the last trimester of pregnancy could increase empathy, understanding, and positive attitude of medical/nursing students and their professional counterparts. Methods This was a prospective observational study on medical/nursing students and their professional counterparts. Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), physical difficulty and positive attitude score, and perceived effectiveness scores prior to PREP were compared to those after PREP. Results A total of 189 participants completed PREP and questionnaires both prior to and after PREP. Mean JSPE score, physical difficulty score, and positive attitude scores were significantly increased following PREP ( p <0.001, all). Perceived effectiveness scores about awareness, empathy, and understanding after PREP were significantly high in the professional group than in the student group ( p =0.004, p =0.01, and p =0.017, respectively). Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that major in medicine ( p = 0.014), health care professionals (nurse or physician) ( p <0.001), and marriage experience ( p < 0.001) were significant predictors of increasing empathy, difficulty feelings and effectiveness scores, respectively. Conclusion PREP is an effective simulation program that can improve empathy, positive attitude, and awareness in medical/nursing students as well as their professional counterparts.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Abdomen / Adult / Analysis / Approaches to teaching and learning / attitude / Attitude of Health Personnel / Attitudes / Awareness / Difficulty Level / Education / Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Empathy / Employed Women / Female / Females / Hospitals / Humans / Learning / Likert Scales / Male / Marriage / Medical Education / Medical personnel / Medical schools / Medical Students / Middle Aged / Multiple Regression Analysis / Nurses / Nursing education / Nursing Students / Outcomes of Treatment / Participation / Patients / Physician Patient Relationship / Physicians / Positive Attitudes / Pregnancy / Pregnant women / Professionals / Program Design / Prospective Studies / Quantitative psychology / Questionnaires / Regression analysis / Republic of Korea / Research Article / Role Playing / Simulation / Statistical Analysis / Statistical Significance / Students / Students, Medical - psychology / Students, Nursing - psychology / Surveys and Questionnaires / Systematic review / Teaching / Teaching Methods / Theory of Medicine/Bioethics / Training / Womens health / Work Environment / Young Adult