Simulation Based Educational Intervention for Enhancing Irrigation Skills of Nurses Caring for Patients With Cutaneous Continent Urinary Diversions and Orthotopic Neobladders.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a nurse practitioner-led simulation-based education program on nursing knowledge and confidence in the care of patients with a cutaneous continent urinary diversion (Indiana pouch) or orthotopic neobladder.

Design: Single-group, before-after study.

Subjects And Setting: The sample comprised 11 RNs practicing at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Subjects were predominantly female, ethnically diverse, and held a bachelor's degree. About half of the subjects had less than 3 years of experience, and more than half reported prior experience caring for patients with a urinary diversion.

Methods: Participants completed a demographic survey, and a continent urinary diversion confidence survey and pretest measuring knowledge of nursing care of patients with a urinary diversion. Following baseline data collection, an educational session focused on the irrigation of a continent urinary diversion was made available for participants to review. An onsite simulation experience was scheduled several weeks later. Investigators provided education on proper irrigation of a continent urinary diversion and observed participants' skills when irrigating a continent urinary diversion on a high-fidelity simulated patient mannequin. The simulation intervention was followed by video replay and debrief providing feedback on each participant's performance. At the conclusion of the onsite simulation intervention, participants completed a postintervention confidence survey and a knowledge posttest related to the care of a continent urinary diversion. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze baseline and postintervention changes in nursing knowledge and confidence.

Results: Participants achieved significant improvements in knowledge (P = .005) and confidence (P = .009) following the simulation-based educational intervention.

Conclusions: A nurse practitioner-led simulation-based educational program for RNs caring for patients with continent urinary diversions demonstrates enhanced nursing knowledge and confidence caring for patients with continent urinary diversions. We anticipate this experience will enhance care we provided to patients undergoing cystectomy and continent cutaneous urinary diversion or orthotopic neobladder construction.