Exploring Undergraduate Nursing Students' Preferences in Psychiatric Nursing Simulation Modalities.

Background: The use of high-fidelity simulators (manikins) and standardized patients (SPs) in simulation has been incorporated into many nursing schools throughout the nation to augment the clinical rotation experience. There is little to no data available on comparing undergraduate students' preferences between SPs and manikins in psychiatric nursing.

Methods: A quantitative descriptive exploratory design was used to evaluate pre-licensure nursing students' preferences in both traditional 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and accelerated BSN programs (ABSN).

Understanding the student's experience of community health nursing simulations.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students' experiences after completing community health nursing simulation encounters.

Methods: The study used a descriptive qualitative design. Through conventional content analysis, the research team analyzed the experiences of 73 nursing students after participating in community health nursing simulation encounters.

Assessing Undergraduate Student Nurses' Performance in Various Public Health Roles Using Simulation.

: To expose students to various public health roles and complement clinical experience using simulated encounters.: This exploratory study assessed students' performance of basic nursing tasks for three public health nurse roles.: 15-guided questions were used to evaluate a convenience sample of 137 students' expected performance compared to their actual performance of basic nursing skills.

Using virtual simulation and electronic health records to assess student nurses' documentation and critical thinking skills.

Introduction: Electronic health records have become a standard documentation platform to house patient information in most US hospitals. To improve documentation, providers suggest establishing electronic health record user education at the classroom level so students can interact with patient data early. The purpose of this study was to assess student nurses' clinical documentation and critical thinking skills using virtual patients and a simulated electronic health record system.

Using simulation to evaluate exam scores in a public health nursing course.

Objective: Public health nursing courses typically incorporate clinical components but rarely offer simulation education as part of clinical practice. There is limited research examining the impact of simulation for public health nursing courses on final exam scores. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of simulation training on final exam scores in a public health nursing course.

Does Adherence to World Health Organization Hand Hygiene Protocols in the Operating Room Have the Potential to Produce Irritant Contact Dermatitis in Anesthesia Providers?

Anesthesia providers have the burden of constant hand hygiene during task dense periods. The requirement for hand hygiene often demands frequent application of alcohol-based hand rub. To assess whether frequent alcohol-based hand rub use leads to skin changes or irritant contact dermatitis, volunteers cleaned their hands with alcohol-based hand rub every 15 minutes for 8 hours for 5 sequential days.

Targeted Use of Alcohol-Based Hand Rub on Gloves During Task Dense Periods: One Step Closer to Pathogen Containment by Anesthesia Providers in the Operating Room.

Background: Anesthesia providers' hand hygiene practices in the operating room may contribute to the transmission of bacteria. There is a debate, however, over the best approaches for pathogen containment during task dense periods (induction and extubation) of anesthesia care. A novel approach to reducing pathogen spread during these task dense periods is the use of alcohol-based hand rub on gloves when it may be difficult to either change gloves or clean hands.

Current hand hygiene education is suboptimal.

Background: To address the low levels of hand hygiene compliance (HHC) at our academic medical centre, we developed an annual patient safety course required for all incoming third-year medical students. Based on previous observations of medical students, it was determined that hand hygiene (HH) would be a central component of the course.

Methods: Over a 1-year period (2015/16), we observed third- and fourth-year medical students who had participated in the annual patient safety course entering three intensive care units (ICUs) at two teaching hospitals.

An assessment of CPR skills using simulation: Are first responders prepared to save lives?

The American Heart Association's (AHA) recommendation for biyearly recertification and annual mandatory CPR training may be suboptimal for first responders (nurses and technicians) working in outpatient clinics (American Heart Association, 2013). To determine the efficacy of the AHA guidelines, 40 simulated sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) encounters were conducted followed by debriefing and a subsequent SCA to determine a basic level of CPR proficiency. First responders' CPR skills were evaluated using a 19-item assessment form to quantify the event.

A ubiquitous but ineffective intervention: Signs do not increase hand hygiene compliance.

Proper hand hygiene is critical for preventing healthcare-associated infection, but provider compliance remains suboptimal. While signs are commonly used to remind physicians and nurses to perform hand hygiene, the content of these signs is rarely based on specific, validated health behavior theories. This observational study assessed the efficacy of a hand hygiene sign disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in an intensive care unit compared to an optimized evidence-based sign designed by a team of patient safety experts.

The influence of high fidelity simulation on first responders retention of CPR knowledge.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of high-fidelity simulation on the retention of basic life support cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge among a group of healthcare providers (HCPs).

Methods: A twenty-five question exam was completed by nurses and nurse technicians over a two-year period before and after mandatory CPR training with high-fidelity simulation.

Results: Most HCPs scored near 50% or below the passing score (80%) with a mean range of scores between 28% and 84%.

"Priming" hand hygiene compliance in clinical environments.

Introduction: Effective hand hygiene is the single most important procedure in preventing hospital-acquired infections. Traditional information/education-based interventions have shown only modest benefits on compliance. This study set out to investigate whether priming via olfactory and visual cues influences hand hygiene compliance.

Using simulation technology to identify gaps between education and practice among new graduate nurses.

Applied knowledge was observed among nurse groups from a medical-surgical residency program to measure clinical performance during simulation training. Twenty groups of new graduate nurses were observed during five simulated clinical scenarios, and their performances were scored on a 24-item checklist. Nurse groups showed significant improvement (p < 0.

A patient safety course for preclinical medical students.

Background: We developed a course to introduce incoming third-year medical students to the subject of patient safety, to focus their attention on teamwork and communication, and to create an awareness of patient-safe practices that will positively impact their performance as clinicians.

Methods: The course, held prior to the start of clinical rotations, consisted of lectures, web-based didactic materials, small group activities and simulation exercises, with an emphasis on experiential learning. First, students inspected a 'room of horrors', which is a simulated clinical environment riddled with errors.

Do hospital visitors wash their hands? Assessing the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer in a hospital lobby.

Background: Reports regarding hand hygiene compliance (HHC) among hospital visitors are limited. Although there is an implicit assumption that the availability of alcohol-based hand sanitizer (AHS) promotes visitor HHC, the degree of AHS use by visitors remains unclear. To assess AHS use, we observed visitor HHC and how it is affected by visual cues in a private university hospital.

A novel educational programme to improve knowledge regarding health care-associated infection and hand hygiene.

Lack of hand hygiene by health-care workers is the most significant cause of health care-associated infection. This programme was designed to make health-care workers want to wash their hands, to change their knowledge regarding hand hygiene and health care-associated infection, and influence practice. Improvement between pre- and post-test scores was statistically significant.

The efficacy of visual cues to improve hand hygiene compliance.

Background: Guidelines governing healthcare workers' (HCW) hand hygiene (HH) behavior are well established. Despite known hazards of healthcare-associated infection to both HCW and patients, hand hygiene compliance (HHC) rates remain dismally low. To evaluate a potential solution to this ongoing challenge, we used a simulated patient encounter in an actual hospital room to test the efficacy of individual HH triggers.

A blended approach to invasive bedside procedural instruction.

Objective: This study assessed the impact of a blended, standardized curriculum for invasive bedside procedural training on medical knowledge and technical skills for Internal Medicine residents.

Methods: The investigators developed a curriculum in procedural instruction and performance for Internal Medicine house staff, and implemented the program at a tertiary care academic medical center with a primary affiliation with a US medical school. The investigators chose procedures recommended for technical competence by the American Board of Internal Medicine: lumbar puncture, thoracentesis, paracentesis, central venous catheter insertion, and knee arthrocentesis.

Factors impacting hand hygiene compliance among new interns: findings from a mandatory patient safety course.

Background: Residency is a critical transition during which individuals acquire lifelong behaviors important for professionalism and optimal patient care. One behavior is proper hand hygiene (HH), yet poor compliance with accepted HH practices remains a critical issue in many settings. This study explored the factors affecting hand hygiene compliance (HHC) in a diverse group of interns at the beginning of graduate training.

Creating a common patient safety denominator: the interns' course.

Aim: After finishing medical school, interns are in many ways unprepared for handling patient care challenges independently. Recognizing that interns may benefit from a patient safety orientation, we developed an innovative curriculum to impart competencies related to their role in preventing medical errors. In the course, which runs during the first week of the intern year, we specifically address 1) calling for help; 2) teamwork and communication; 3) hand hygiene compliance; and, 4) preventing medication and other system errors.