Education Via Simulation: Teaching Safe Chest Percussion for Pre-term Infants

Simulation-based education improves student self-efficacy in physiotherapy assessment and management of paediatric patients

BACKGROUND

The Australian Physiotherapy Council mandates that physiotherapy clinical education be sufficient to produce graduates who are competent to practice across the lifespan. Due to a lack of opportunities for paediatric clinical placements, there is a risk of graduates not having the opportunity to develop competency in paediatric physiotherapy. To address this risk, simulation-based education (SBE) has been proposed as an educational strategy to address the placement shortfall. Despite encouraging evidence for its use in physiotherapy education, there is limited evidence supporting its use specifically in paediatric populations. The aims of this research were to investigate the effect of SBE on student self-efficacy in the physiotherapy assessment and management of paediatric clients, and to determine student satisfaction with SBE as a learning strategy.

METHODS

Three interactive SBE sessions were run during the undergraduate paediatric physiotherapy unit at the campus of one Australian university. Self-efficacy was surveyed before and after each session, to determine confidence in clinical skills, clinical decision-making, treatment preparation and planning, communication skills; evaluating and modifying interventions, and interprofessional practice. Student satisfaction with SBE as a learning strategy was surveyed after the final SBE session.

RESULTS

For the 164 participants included in this study, self-efficacy survey response rate varied from 77 to 96% for each session. Significant increases in mean student self-efficacy were recorded for all questions (p <  0.001). A total of 139 (85%) responded to the learning reactionnaire with 78.6% indicating they were very satisfied with SBE as a learning strategy. Written comments from 41 participants identified 'experience' as the primary theme.

CONCLUSION

SBE had a significant positive effect on student self-efficacy in the physiotherapy assessment and management of paediatric patients. Students also perceived SBE to be a valuable learning experience. Future research is needed to investigate whether the improvement in self-efficacy achieved through SBE translates into improved student performance during workplace-based clinical placements.

Use of Simulation Learning Experiences in Physical Therapy Entry-to-Practice Curricula: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

To review the literature on simulation-based learning experiences and to examine their potential to have a positive impact on physiotherapy (PT) learners' knowledge, skills, and attitudes in entry-to-practice curricula.

METHOD

A systematic literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase Classic+Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, using keywords such as physical therapy, simulation, education, and students.

RESULTS

A total of 820 abstracts were screened, and 23 articles were included in the systematic review. While there were few randomized controlled trials with validated outcome measures, some discoveries about simulation can positively affect the design of the PT entry-to-practice curricula. Using simulators to provide specific output feedback can help students learn specific skills. Computer simulations can also augment students' learning experience. Human simulation experiences in managing the acute patient in the ICU are well received by students, positively influence their confidence, and decrease their anxiety. There is evidence that simulated learning environments can replace a portion of a full-time 4-week clinical rotation without impairing learning.

CONCLUSIONS

Simulation-based learning activities are being effectively incorporated into PT curricula. More rigorously designed experimental studies that include a cost-benefit analysis are necessary to help curriculum developers make informed choices in curriculum design.

Simulated learning environments in speech-language pathology: an Australian response

The rising demand for health professionals to service the Australian population is placing pressure on traditional approaches to clinical education in the allied health professions. Existing research suggests that simulated learning environments (SLEs) have the potential to increase student placement capacity while providing quality learning experiences with comparable or superior outcomes to traditional methods. This project investigated the current use of SLEs in Australian speech-language pathology curricula, and the potential future applications of SLEs to the clinical education curricula through an extensive consultative process with stakeholders (all 10 Australian universities offering speech-language pathology programs in 2010, Speech Pathology Australia, members of the speech-language pathology profession, and current student body). Current use of SLEs in speech-language pathology education was found to be limited, with additional resources required to further develop SLEs and maintain their use within the curriculum. Perceived benefits included: students' increased clinical skills prior to workforce placement, additional exposure to specialized areas of speech-language pathology practice, inter-professional learning, and richer observational experiences for novice students. Stakeholders perceived SLEs to have considerable potential for clinical learning. A nationally endorsed recommendation for SLE development and curricula integration was prepared.