Evaluation of a teaching pack designed for nursing students to acquire the essential knowledge for competent practice in blood transfusion administration.

This article describes the evaluation of a teaching pack designed for nursing students to acquire the knowledge required for safe administration of blood transfusions. The Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) Committee is a confidential reporting body, which gathers data from the United Kingdom and reports the serious sequelae of blood transfusion. The SHOT reports have repeatedly identified that errors in blood transfusions are wholly avoidable. Nurses, as the health care professionals ultimately responsible for the bedside check, have the final opportunity to prevent a mis-transfusion [Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2004a. The NMC code of professional conduct: standards for conduct, performance and ethics. NMC, London; Serious Hazards of Transfusion, 2002. SHOT Annual Report 2001-2002. SHOT Scheme, Manchester]. The educational strategies implemented will be explained and evidence that applying structured learning programmes in the undergraduate nursing curriculum can improve students' knowledge presented. A structured questionnaire was employed to assess students' knowledge of the process for transfusing blood components pre- and post-teaching and evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching pack. The results will be presented and discussed.

Early introduction to interprofessional learning: a simulated ward environment.

OBJECTIVES: To develop an interprofessional simulated ward environment for junior medical and nursing students and to identify themes for future evaluations and modify criteria for formative assessment of the exercise. SUBJECTS: Second year medical and nursing students. SETTING: The multiprofessional Clinical Skills Centre at the Faculty of Medicine, and Nursing, University of Dundee, Scotland. METHOD: A simulated ward environment was created in the Clinical Skills Centre around patients with common medical conditions. Students were allocated to interprofessional teams and, after a briefing given in the form of a ward report, were asked to take responsibility for the ward for 'a shift'. Observers from the Schools of Medicine and Nursing charted their progress in relation to evidence of collaborative team working, effective leadership, the ability to prioritise workload and competence in clinical performance. Evaluations of the exercise were taken from all participants. The criteria for formative assessment were reviewed by the observers after the exercise and a focus group was used to generate additional criteria and modify those piloted. RESULTS: The exercise was perceived positively by all participating groups. Themes for evaluation of future exercises and modified criteria for future assessment were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The exercise gave students their first experience of participating independently in a realistic and safe operational ward setting. It proved to be a powerful learning experience for the students.

Evaluating a simulated ward exercise for third year student nurses.

Recent changes in nurse education emphasise the importance of developing educational strategies that ensure students are prepared for the work of newly registered nurses. To advance this the third year Adult Branch student nurses on the Higher Educational Diploma in Nursing Programme at the University of Dundee participate in a simulated ward exercise. A surgical ward is created for senior student nurses to work as a team to manage, organise, and deliver patient care. The predominant aim of the exercise is for students to be able to identify their skills' deficits and rectify them. The exercise design, implementation, and student evaluation are described in this paper. Opinions from a sample of students about their participation in the exercise were sought using a structured questionnaire. Analysis of the evaluation data revealed that many were provided with an appropriate forum to consolidate their organisational, managerial and clinical skills. The data also demonstrated that reflection on clinical practice is encouraged when students actively participate in a simulation exercise, which they consider appropriate and beneficial to their learning needs. Moreover, it encourages critical analysis of performance to acknowledge areas for improvement before registration.