Date of Paper/Work

5-2012

Type of Paper/Work

Doctor of Nursing Practice Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Corjena Cheung

Department/School

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Abstract

Purpose Statement: The project’s purpose is to determine if the use of low-fidelity simulation (role-play) is an effective teaching-learning strategy to educate sophomore level baccalaureate nursing students on the importance of family assessment and communication. Another purpose for the project was to design and develop a credible and reliable simulation rubric which can be used for faculty to evaluate nursing student abilities to conduct family assessment and communication skills in a simulation setting. Finally, this systems change project (SCP) was designed to help redesign the Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSM) basic undergraduate nursing curriculum by integrating a family as client care emphasis within the curriculum.

Background: There is a gap in the literature as to whether simulation may be used to teach family assessment and communication skills to undergraduate nursing students. Effectiveness of simulation in these two areas requires further research. The new curriculum will focus on a conceptual model of learning rather than content, with the assumption that students will be better prepared to think critically, adjust to quickly changing work environments, and ultimately deepen the learning experience of the students.

Methods: A descriptive study using a pre-survey and 11 week post survey single group design was used to compared pre-intervention data to post-intervention data for sophomore nursing students (N=24) attending a simulation (role-play) teaching-learning experience. Four theories guide this SCP to enhance nursing students’ learning about health and families: The Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM), Calgary Family Intervention Model (CFIM), Social Learning Theory, and Fink’s Creating Significant Learning Experiences.

Research Questions:

  1. Will the use of simulation role-play increase the perceived importance of family as client care in sophomore nursing students?
  2. Will sophomore nursing students perceive simulation role-play an effective learning tool for family communication and assessment skills?
  3. Will the Van Gelderen Simulation Rubric (2010) indicate to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring nursing student assessment and communication skills?

Hypotheses:

  1. Sophomore nursing students will perceive family as client care as more important on post survey versus pre survey results.
  2. Sophomore nursing students will perceive simulation role-play an effective learning tool to build family communication and assessment skills.
  3. The Van Gelderen Simulation Rubric (2010) will indicate to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring nursing student assessment and communication skills.

Results: The students’ level of perceived importance of family care on post surveys as compared to pre surveys overall showed a trend towards increasing (M=3.79; pre-survey) vs. (M=3.83; post-survey). However, no level of significance was found. The implementation of simulation role-play in undergraduate, sophomore nursing students to build family communication and assessment skills was perceived by the students as a positive learning experience by recommending (3.92/4.0 Likert Scale) that this simulation experience be replicated for future MSM nursing students. All male students endorsed replicating this experience by rating this experience as 4.0/4.0 on a Likert Scale whereas female students endorsed this experience as 3.89/4.0. Using Intra-class Correlation Coefficient, the Van Gelderen Simulation Rubric (2010) was found to have all of its eleven constructs significant at a 5% level (p=.000); indicating agreement among three raters. Cronbach’s Alpha indicated that nine of eleven constructs within the rubric were found to have reliability at (.852 or higher). Two constructs were found to have lower reliability; the construct pertaining to ‘Issues & Concerns’ was (.599) and the ‘Family as Client’ construct was (.671).

Implications: Implications for future nursing practice and research are that simulation may be an effective method to transfer family knowledge into clinical practice for nursing students. However, simulation was found to be a better learning experience for male versus female nursing students. With further replication and verification, the Van Gelderen Simulation Rubric (2010) may be used as a tool for nurse educators to measure nursing student ability to conduct family assessment and communication skills.

Further Research: An area requiring further research is to investigate whether simulation may be an effective tool for current practicing nurses and graduate nursing students to learn about family based care.

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