A feasibility of incorporating PDAs into problem-based learning approach to medical education: An overview

This paper explores the feasibility of incorporating personal digital assistants (PDAs) into problem-based learning (PBL) approach in medical education. Method: Database searched was conducted by using relevant keywords. From 1,317 relevant journal articles, 489 articles (37%) are related to the use of PDAs in medical settings, medical education and aspects regarding PDA use in both areas. The appropriate materials were input into NVivo 7 for analysis. Results: Five PDA functionalities (clinical-log, reference, personal information management, communication and special functions) and 8 factors (data security and information privacy, interoperability, scalability and network connectivity, education and training, technology comfort, electromagnetic interference, social acceptance, and maintenance and support) for the incorporation of PDAs into PBL-medical curriculum were identified. Conclusion: A little is known whether PDAs can be incorporate at the beginning of medical study in particular to a PBL-medical curriculum at the University of Wollongong (UOW). Therefore the further study is to determine whether PDAs, their functionalities and influence factors are feasible to deploy into medical education and how possible they can be incorporated to medical education at the UOW

Meaningful Use and Meaningful Curricula: A Survey of Health Informatics Programs in the U.S.

The introduction of the US government’s Meaningful Use criteria carries with it many implications including the training curriculum of healthcare personnel. This study examines 108 health informatics degree programmes across the USA. First, the courses offered are identified and classified into generic classes. Next, these generic groupings are mapped to two important frameworks: the Learning to Manage Health Information (LMHI) academic framework; and the Meaningful Use criteria policy framework. Results suggest that while current curricula seemed acceptable in addressing Meaningful Use Stage 1 objective, there was insufficient evidence that these curricula could support Meaningful Use Stage 2 and Stage 3. These findings are useful to both curriculum developers and the healthcare industry. Curriculum developers in health informatics must match curriculum to the emerging healthcare policy goals and the healthcare industry must now recruit highly trained and qualified personnel to help achieve these new goals of data- capture, data-sharing and intelligence

Increasing Knowledge and Self-Efficacy in Nurses Orienting to Cardiovascular Surgery Using A New Periop 202 Program

The operating room theater can be intimidating for new nurses, thus leading to a shortage of nurses who are comfortable working in this environment. Evidence supports that 50% of perioperative nurses in 2017 were between the age of 50 and 59. Additionally, no formal didactic courses are being offered in undergraduate programs and the challenging environment related directly to the future shortage of perioperative nurses. This negatively impacts the number of trained perioperative cardiovascular nurses. The project proposed a new didactic educational Perioperative (Periop) 202 program that aimed to increase nurses’ self-efficacy to function on the cardiovascular operating room (CVOR) team and their knowledge of protocols and guidelines of new nurses entering the CVOR with the goal of generating future perioperative nurses to care for of this patient population. The eight actionable items within the Periop 202 program were designed to increase knowledge of CVOR procedures and protocol and the self-efficacy of new perioperative cardiovascular nurses, as evidence supports the use of nurses to complete these essential educational interventions. The Periop 202 program was an evidenced based program that added value and solution to the CVOR market. The program increased nurses’ confidence level of what they already knew about OR nursing with their pre-course percentage scores of 63% to post-course percentage scores of 80% on the OR knowledge questionnaire. The SEIEL self-efficacy questionnaire reported an increase in communication and team collaboration. All nurse participants completed their CVOR competency validated by their preceptors. Through a partnership with the AORN, a CVOR program with online-learning modules, one on one meetings with the primary investigator, clinical experiences and exposure, and team involvement led to a successful training program. The implications of creating and implementing an evidenced based Periop 202 program will have a positive impact on recruitment strategies across the nation. Key words: nurse, education, environment, operating room, readiness to learn