Use of Simulation in Nursing Education : Initial Experiences on a European Union Lifelong Learning Programme - Leonardo da Vinci Project

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 LicenseAim: The aim of this paper is to share the initial experiences on a European Union (EU) Lifelong Learning Programme Leonardo Da Vinci Transfer of Innovation Project related to the use of simulation-based learning with nursing students from Turkey. The project started at the end of the 2010 involving 7 partners from 3 different countries including Turkey, England, and Italy. Methods: This project is divided into 7 work packages (WP). In this paper, experiences from the first three WPs (WP1: Preparation and dissemination of the project. WP2: Regulation of the project management. WP3: Development of the evaluation tools used to evaluate the impact of the innovative practice within the coordinating partner's institution) are shared. Results: In the WP1 and WP2: the kick-off meeting was organized in Turkey, the coordinating partner’s country. During the meeting project-related events were planned and the steering committee of the project was formed. A strong team spirit within the partnership was established. For the dissemination of the project, a poster and flier of the project were prepared and placed on corporate boards visible to students and teaching staff and put on the partners’ institutional websites. Regular bulletins of the project were also prepared and posted on the project website. In the WP3, student data sheet, items for students’ satisfaction questionnaire and confidence scale were created based on the literature. Trauma patient scenarios (abdominal trauma, thoracic trauma, pelvic fracture and traumatic amputation) were created to test the target group's knowledge. Ethical approval was obtained from the coordinating partner institution. A pilot study to test the cases was conducted. Following the pilot study, the final version of the student data sheet and scenario cases was created. The second meeting was organized in Italy. In this meeting, the results of the pilot study, the scenario cases, and the Patient Intervention Self Confidence /Competence Scale were evaluated. Conclusion: The work on this EU project is still in progress. Considering that learning from experience is an important part of nursing education, sharing experiences on such a project related to using simulation as an innovative teaching strategy in nursing education in Turkey should provide an example to others who want to develop other EU projects in nursing education.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Use of simulation in nursing education : Initial experiences on a European Union Lifelong Learning Programme

AIM: The European Union(EU) Lifelong Learning Programme Leonardo Da Vinci Transfer of Innovation Project started in 2010 and involved 7 partners from 3 different countries including Turkey, England and Italy. The aim of this paper is to share initial experiences and learning on this project. METHODS: The project is divided into 7 work packages(WP). In this paper, experiences of the first three WPs(WP1: Preparation and dissemination of the project. WP2: Regulation of the project’s management. WP3: Development of the tools used to evaluate the impact of the innovative practice within the coordinating partner’s institution) are shared. RESULTS: For WP1 and WP2:the kick-off meeting was organized in the coordinating partner’s country. During the meeting, events were planned and the steering committee for the project was formed. A strong team spirit within the partnership was established. For the dissemination, a poster was prepared and put on each partners’ institutional website. In the WP3:student data sheets, items for measuring students’ satisfaction and confidence, and scenario cases about trauma patients were created to measure the target group’s knowledge. Ethical approval was obtained. A pilot study to test the cases was conducted. Following the pilot study, a revised version of student data sheet and cases was created. A two-day meeting was organized in Italy. At this meeting the participants discussed and evaluated the results of the pilot study including cases and the student satisfaction and self confidence questions, all in an effort to identify educational needs of the participating students. CONCLUSION: This is an ongoing project. Considering that learning from experience is an important part of nursing education, it is critical to share experiences on this EU project related to using simulation. It is an innovative teaching strategy in nursing education, one which should provide an example for the others who want to develop EU projects in nursing education.Non peer reviewe

Transfer of Innovation among European Countries : An English simulation center funded to support the introduction of simulation in Turkish nursing schools

Introduction/Background: The Leonardo Da Vinci Lifelong Learning program is a European Union (EU) funding stream which funds practical projects in the field of vocational education and training. Initiatives range from those giving individuals work-related training abroad to large-scale co-operation efforts (European Commission 2011). The consortium should involve a minimum of 3 partners from different countries, one of which at least should be from the EU. Simulation is still perceived as an innovative teaching practice in countries where it is totally underutilized. In this context, collaboration is the way forward whereby, following a formal bidding process for funding, experts from one or more countries extend their support to other countries under the umbrella of this type of EU project. Our project (2010-1-TR1-LEO05-16726) formally started in December 2010 and involves a total of 7 partners from 3 different countries including Turkey, England, and Italy. Description: The transfer of innovation of this project is about the introduction of scenario-based simulation education in Turkey through the support from an institution with experience in that domain (University of Hertfordshire, UK). The expert partner institution has been identified through published work (Alinier et al. 2006) while the other institution, fairly new to that educational practice with nursing students (University of Florence), was an existing partner through the Erasmus program, facilitating the exchange of faculty and students. The project is divided into 7 work packages (WP) with pre-identified key deliverables, all of which will then become available to the wider community through the project website (http://www.ldvusin.org). The project team has already met on 3 occasions to: kick off the project, report on activities conducted, and be initiated in scenario-based simulation education. The team has performed the following tasks: Conducted interviews with Turkish students to determine their level of satisfaction with the current training opportunities and their expectations regarding simulation-based education. Developed four trauma scenarios using a standardized template (Alinier 2011) and programmed them on the LaerdalTM Scenario Editor software. Familiarized educators from the various partner institutions with the use of simulation and its different modalities through participation to a course in the UK. Developed a self-confidence questionnaire for the students relating to the care of patients with physical trauma. Developed a post-skills practice evaluation questionnaire for the students. Developed a post-scenario-based learning evaluation questionnaire for the students. Elaborated the plan for the refurbishment of a teaching room into an advanced simulation facility. Developed a list of equipment and resources required. Conclusion: As described by the European Commission, since 1995, the Leonardo da Vinci program has enabled European organizations in the vocational education sector to work collaboratively, exchange best practices, and increase their staff’s expertise. It aims to make vocational education more attractive to young people and to boost the overall competitiveness of the European labor market by helping people to gain new skills, knowledge and qualifications. To date, the entire faculty from the partner institutions involved feel they have already learnt from the tasks which have been completed. The faculty who will be required to adjust aspects of their teaching practice see this change very favorably for the benefit of their students. The Turkish students involved in the interviews showed a good predisposition to simulation-based learning to complement their existing practical skills sessions. Overall, learners and faculty are much in favor of the adoption of simulation-based learning to help them bridge the gap between skills practice and the real world of clinical practice. References: Alinier G, 2011. Developing High-Fidelity Health Care Simulation Scenarios: A Guide for Educators and Professionals. Simulation & Gaming, 42(1):9-26 Alinier G, Hunt B, Gordon R, Harwood C, 2006. Effectiveness of intermediate-fidelity simulation training technology in undergraduate nursing education. Journal of Advanced Nursing 54(3):359-369 European Commission, 2011. http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learningprogramme/doc82_en.htmwebsite last updated on 30/09/2010 and visited on 30/07/2011Peer reviewe