How Can we Use Simulation to Improve Competencies in Nursing?

This open access book offers an overview of theories related to simulation and describes different simulation areas within nursing. It illustrates how simulation may be used in different levels in professional education. The book deals with the role of the Simulation Facilitator, peer learning and the use of Virtual Reality in simulation. It provides new insights and paths to the development of the use of simulation within nursing and healthcare and contributes with new knowledge from research and experiences of implementation of different simulating scenarios within nursing and midwifery. It is intended to teachers in nursing and other healthcare professionals with an interest in the use of active learning methods

Instilling reflective practice – The use of an online portfolio in innovative optometric education Accepted as: e‐poster Paper no. 098

At UCLAN we are breaking the mould and have developed a blended learning MSci optometry programme which is the first blended learning course in optometric education in the UK and the first to use a practice-based online portfolio. Optometry has traditionally been taught as a 3‐year undergraduate programme. Upon successful graduation, students are required to complete a year in practice and meet the General Optical Council's (GOC) “ability to” core competencies. However, a recent study by the GOC found that 76% of students felt unprepared for professional practice with insufficient clinical experience and in response, the GOC is currently undertaking an educational strategic review. To ensure the students receive high-quality clinical experience in the workplace, we have developed an online logbook and portfolio. Students log their experiences, learning points and reflections. The portfolio is closely monitored both by the student's mentor in practice and by academic staff. The content and reflections logged by the students then helps to drive the face to face teaching, small group discussions and clinical experiences provided by the university

How Can we Use Simulation to Improve Competencies in Nursing?

This open access book offers an overview of theories related to simulation and describes different simulation areas within nursing. It illustrates how simulation may be used in different levels in professional education. The book deals with the role of the Simulation Facilitator, peer learning and the use of Virtual Reality in simulation. It provides new insights and paths to the development of the use of simulation within nursing and healthcare and contributes with new knowledge from research and experiences of implementation of different simulating scenarios within nursing and midwifery. It is intended to teachers in nursing and other healthcare professionals with an interest in the use of active learning methods

Australian tertiary learning and teaching scholarship and research 2007-2012

Research into Higher Education is strongly supported in Australia by journals and conferences. Teaching and learning awards, projects and programmes in Australia have gained a significantly larger profile over the last five years thanks, in part, to an imaginative and supportive environment fostered by the federal government through the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) and now the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT)

Roundtable Discussion (RTD03) - Is there a downside to using Simulated Patients to teach and assess communication skills?

Background Simulated Patients (SPs) are widely used to facilitate the learning of communication skills enabling students to receive detailed feedback on experiential practice in a safe environment. They are also used in the assessment of students’ communication skills in Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). We have observed that our most experienced SPs are highly conversant with medical jargon and consultation skills and have almost become ‘medical faculty’. Consultations can therefore lack the true patient perspective, with SPs focussing their feedback on process rather than giving a true patient perspective. Roundtable objectives To consider the challenges in ensuring that highly experienced SPs continue to respond from a true patient perspective To critique whether the use of SPs in OSCE stations is a valid way to assess students’ communication skills with real patients To consider whether using consultations with Simulated Patients is useful for students in the later years of an Undergraduate medical course who are learning to integrate the different components of a consultation and reasoning clinically in a real-life clinical context To share best practice with colleagues Roundtable A brief interactive presentation including the authors’ experiences of working with experienced Simulated Patients which will draw on current literature regarding the evidence for using Simulated Patients in the teaching and assessing of communication skills Delegates will have the opportunity to take part in three roundtable discussions • OSCE Stations using SPs assess how good students are at communicating with SPs but not with real patients • Experienced SPs are in danger of responding with a faculty not a patient perspective • By using SPs in teaching we over focus on process and forget the global picture