Teaching Professional Peer Review With the Use of Simulation.

BACKGROUND: Quality improvement practices such as peer review and just culture are important components of patient safety initiatives, and health professions students should be introduced to these practices during their education. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a peer-review simulation learning experience using just culture principles in a graduate-level, online nursing education program. METHODS: The students rated their learning experience with high, positive scores in all 7 domains on the Simulation Learning Experience Inventory. Responses to the open-ended question indicated that the students thought the experience provided opportunities for deep learning, increased confidence, and enhanced critical thinking skills. CONCLUSION: A peer-review simulation program using just culture principles provided a meaningful learning experience for graduate-level students in an online nursing education program.

Shoulder dystocia and postpartum hemorrhage simulations: student confidence in managing these complications.

INTRODUCTION: Simulation is an effective teaching strategy for educating health professionals. However, little is known about the effectiveness of simulations in midwifery education. The purpose of this project was to determine whether the use of high-fidelity simulations for the obstetric emergencies of shoulder dystocia and postpartum hemorrhage increases student confidence in managing these complications. METHODS: The participants were registered nurses enrolled in a graduate midwifery education program in the Southeastern United States. Student confidence in learning to manage shoulder dystocia and postpartum hemorrhage was studied in 2 groups of students. The control group (n = 10) received standard teaching methods consisting of discussion, watching a video, and low-fidelity teaching methods. The intervention group (n = 18) received a high-fidelity simulation learning experience. Student confidence was measured before and after each learning experience using a validated, 8-item, Likert-type scale. RESULTS: In the control group, student confidence did not significantly increase after a classroom discussion or low-fidelity simulation experience. Student confidence increased significantly (P < .01) after the high-fidelity simulation learning experiences. When the differences between the pretest and posttest scores were compared for the control and intervention groups, there was a moderate effect size (0.54) for the intervention group for the shoulder dystocia simulations and a large effect size (1.68) for the postpartum hemorrhage simulations. CONCLUSION: High-fidelity simulations for shoulder dystocia and postpartum hemorrhage significantly increased student confidence in managing these complications.