Enhancing medication safety through simulation
Hema Roslin Samson, Devakirubai Jacob & Shreedevi Balachandran
Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
: J Nurs Patient Care
Abstract
Background: Nurse educators plays a major role in ensuring student nurses to develop the knowledge, competency, skill and judgement related to safe medications administration. In recent years, the use of high fidelity simulation in educating student nurses enables the practice of necessary skills in an environment that allows for errors and professional growth without risking patient safety.
Objective: This study aimed to explore the effect of simulation based learning on student nurses knowledge and competency related to managing critically ill patients.
Methods: This non-experimental quantitative survey was conducted between August 2015 to May 2017, among fourth year nursing students at Nursing Education and Clinical Simulation Unit (NECSU) of the College Of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat. The students were exposed to faculty guided simulation program which included pre-learning skill stations, standardized simulation scenarios, standardized patients and high fidelity manikins and pre-learning checklists. Participants answered a pre-test questionnaire prior to simulation sessions on patient identification, focused assessment, effective communication skills using SBAR, critical thinking for clinical judgement and safe administration of medication in managing Acute myocardial infarction, hypovolemic shock and life threatening complications. The questionnaire was administered as a post-test. Items were classified into subcategories such as knowledge, skill, medication safety and critical thinking.
Results: Of the 80 participants majority of the students (78.81%) had improved levels of medication safety practices when compared with the pretest score (46.22%). There was also a significant increase in knowledge scores from 56.08% to 76.43%. Skill competencies were augmented by 65.1%. Apparently there was a significant increase (71.72%) in critical thinking and clinical judgement in comparison with pre-test scores of (60.26%).
Conclusion: Thus the results reflect that simulation revamps their knowledge, skill, medication safety and critical thinking levels in identifying and managing critically ill patients. These findings strongly reinforce the use of simulation as a strategy to train students in providing safe care to patients.
Biography
Working as a Lecturer at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), College of Nursing from 2015 to date. Currently working on a project titled Family caregiver burden of patient's with Traumatic Brain Injury", funded by SQU. Currently teaching Adult Health Nursing & Critical Care Nursing for the Bachelor's Program in nursing at SQU.Worked at various Hospitals and College of Nursing in India and Oman- from1999.Staff nurse in the medical, surgical wards and ICU at Manipal & Bangalore Baptist Hospital India. Continuing Nursing Education Coordinator - Manipal Hospital India.Junior Lecturer - St.John's College of Nursing. India. Program Coordinator of a WHO funded project -Global Fund to fight against AIDS TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA (GFATM) at St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, St.John's College of Nursing, India. Technical Officer for Maternal Health Task Force, Lotus Research Institute, St.John's National Academy of Health Sciences, India, training doctors and nurses to reduce the Infant & Maternal Mortality Rate of selected regions in Karnataka - India. Civilian Officer at the Armed Forces Hospital - Muscat.
E-mail: roslinhema24@gmail.com
