Effect of Using Human Patient Simulator Versus Traditional Method of Teaching on Nurse's Cognitive Skills and Confidence.

Abstract

The human patient simulator (HPS) is gaining widespread adoption in multiple healthcare disciplines. A number of factors are affecting the use of simulation, including increased student enrollment, competition for clinical sites, litigation threats, and more patients with greater illness acuity and shorter lengths of stay. An important additional consideration is that high_ fidelity human simulations can be tailored to the level of student knowledge. The aim of the study: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of using a human patient simulator (HPS) versus the Traditional method of teaching on nurse's cognitive skills and confidence. Design: A quasi-experimental study design was used. Sample/Setting: Ninety-six nurses working in critical and emergency units constituted the study sample. The study was conducted at the Simulated Lab in the National Training Institute affiliated to the Ministry of Health /Cairo _ Egypt. Method: Nurses were randomly assigned to either the control group with traditional method or simulation learning group using HPS. All subjects received a pre/post/follow up test. all nurses in both groups received didactic lectures on management of respiratory arrest. The HPS group then learned about the topic using HPS. Nurses were then posted _tested on a unique respiratory arrest scenario using either case study or HPS. The same pre/ post-test was administered to both groups after the course and three months later. Both groups were also surveyed for their perceived self-confidence using Likert Scale. After completion of the course, the simulation group was surveyed for their opinion regarding the simulation learning experience. Results: Baseline assessment scores were similar in both groups. However, post/test scores indicated that the HPS group performed statistically significantly better than the traditional learning group. Regarding to self-confidence, both groups showed gain self-confidence with no statistically significant difference. The HPS group expressed their overall satisfaction with the simulation method. Conclusion: Using HPS as instructional method did improve cognitive skills of nurses under study; using human patient simulator did increase the level of self-confidence as perceived by the group under study. The majority of the participants views the simulation experience as useful, helpful and promotes active learning. Recommendation: Further studies using a large number are needed in the field of simulation specifically using HPS.