Opioid-involved overdose trainings delivered using remote learning modalities.

AIM: This education-focused study examined changes in nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards responding to opioid-involved overdoses following participation in trainings delivered using remote learning modalities. DESIGN: This pre-post study examined learning outcomes among 17 nursing students. METHODS: Participants completed the Opioid Overdose Attitude Scale and Opioid Overdose Knowledge Scale to assess attitudes and knowledge, respectively. Trainings were delivered to two separate groups, one via virtual reality immersive video and another over video conferencing. RESULTS: Attitude scores increased by an average of 12.2 points and knowledge scores increased by 1.65 points. Within the virtual reality group, attitude scores increased by an average of 10 points, while no significant changes were observed in knowledge scores. The video conferencing group improved in both attitude and knowledge scores, by an average of 16.2 points and 2.1 points, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These hypothesis generating results illustrate the utility of remote learning approaches to deliver trainings, while maintaining social distance during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

An Integrated Mental Health and Acute Care Clinical Rotation on a Dedicated Education Unit.

BACKGROUND: Traditional mental health clinical experiences expose students to an environment that may not prepare them to address mental health needs in hospital settings. PURPOSE: The purpose is of this project was to evaluate the implementation of an integrated mental health and acute care clinical model on a dedicated education unit (DEU). METHODS: In this pilot project, students provided dually focused medical and mental health care on assigned patients. A preclass and postclass survey measured their perceptions of mental health competency. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups (integrated model on the DEU compared with a traditional experience on an acute care and inpatient behavioral health unit). All groups reported increased mental health competency. CONCLUSIONS: Both groups showed similar improvements from the preclass to the postclass survey on perceived competence, suggesting that an integrated acute care and mental health clinical practicum may be equivalent to the traditional model.