Telephone Triage Simulation Activity for Prelicensure Nursing Students.

BACKGROUND: To meet the demands of a complex health care environment, nursing students need education that includes telephone triage in outpatient settings. Developing telephone triage communication skills requires the use of a different set of senses than in-person assessments. The purpose of this pilot study was to measure the effect of a telephone triage classroom simulation on prelicensure nursing students' knowledge and skills. METHOD: A simulation was developed to learn outpatient telephone triage protocols focused on lower respiratory illness. Students documented the encounter, gave a report to the provider, and completed the Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified. RESULTS: Eighty-eight percent of students strongly agreed that learning about telephone triage and outpatient nursing was useful. Student perceptions of learning pathophysiology and teaching patients about illness scored lowest. Most students had inaccurate documentation of patient encounters. CONCLUSION: Identified areas for curricular improvement included accurate documentation, pathophysiology, and patient teaching opportunities in outpatient telephone triage. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(6):352-355.].

Using Simulation to Facilitate Transition to the Nurse Educator Role: An Integrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Nurse clinicians transitioning to the educator role require competency development. Simulation methods may increase knowledge and skill development in nurse educators. PURPOSE: The purpose of this review was to examine what is known about using simulation to facilitate transition to the nurse educator role. METHODS: A literature search was completed including simulation methods at any level of fidelity with nurse educators as learners. RESULTS: Using Meleis' Transitions Theory, the outcomes of reviewed reports demonstrated properties of transitions, facilitators of transitions, and indicators of successful transitions to the nurse educator role. Transition outcomes related to mastery of the role were not evident in the reports. CONCLUSIONS: Simulation learning has the potential to support the nurse educator in role transition and development.

Evaluation of a Clinical Policy Learning Activity.

BACKGROUND: Student groups compare evidence-based practice (EBP) to actual practice defined by hospital policies in their clinical rotation sites. This article describes a pilot study evaluating this clinical learning activity. METHOD: Student and faculty surveys were developed and piloted. Purposive sampling with the surveys produced qualitative data and basic statistics to evaluate the learning activity. RESULTS: This study suggests that students' satisfaction with the clinical learning activity was generally positive. Three themes emerged, including Relevance to Clinical Practice, Course Outcomes Met, and Reinforcement of Evidence-Based Practice. Faculty surveys showed this learning activity was a useful tool for students to learn and utilize EBP. CONCLUSION: The learning activity is an effective learning and teaching strategy. Collaboration among nursing students, faculty, librarian, and nurses enhanced students' understanding of evidence related to policies in nursing practice and create a meaningful experience. Further work will focus on validation of the surveys. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(1):44-48.].