Combining High-Fidelity Clinical Simulation and QSEN Safety Competencies

Ramsey, Rachel A.

Tuesday, 19 November 2013: 8:50 AM

Rachel A. Ramsey, MS, BSN¹
Susan Lynne Ahrens, Ph.D.²
Cheryl L. Rockwell, MSN, BSN, RN³
Katrina J. Kessler, Ms, BS, RN²
(1)Nursing, Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN
(2)Department of Nursing, Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN
(3)Department of Nursing, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN

Learning Objective 1: Understand how to use high-fidelity clinical simulation to measure QSEN competencies with nursing students.

Learning Objective 2: Describe how to design simulation experiences to evaluate student safety clinical behaviors.

Nurses are well positioned to ensure safe patient care in hospitals. They are often the safety net that prevents serious patient harm. As such, it is an important role of nursing educators to ensure that students are providing safe patient care. The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies are one way to structure evaluation of student’s clinical behavior. Pairing QSEN competencies with high-fidelity simulation is one way to address safety in nursing education.

Faculty in a Midwestern university identified that clinical simulations as structured did not fully incorporate the QSEN competencies. It had been demonstrated that while the current design contributed to student’s understanding of specific course topics, it limited opportunities for students to demonstrate QSEN competencies and failed to allow for complete assessment of each student’s clinical safety. The simulations were mostly problem focused, limiting faculty members’ ability to evaluate fully whether students were making necessary links from the classroom to clinical. The faculty sought to improve simulation by extending the timeframe and incorporating QSEN competencies. The aim of this project was to determine if providing a two-hour simulation experience focusing on the QSEN competencies could realistically be implemented using current resources.

Based on recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and QSEN, the faculty created new simulation experiences that reflected common nursing activities. In this new model each student cared for a set of three patients and engaged in bedside report, patient care activities, and documentation in an electronic health record. This provided opportunities to practice the total spectrum of the QSEN competencies.

This approach allowed the faculty to evaluate students’ behaviors related to communication, prioritization, time management, and safety. This presentation will explicate the design of the extended simulation, the student’s competencies, and their reports during debriefing of the experience.

See more of: Using Simulation in Novel Ways to Teach Patient Safety (QSEN) and Understand the Student Experience
See more of: Symposia: Clinical Sessions