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Acute staffing deficiencies pose a challenge for hospitals because shortages can negatively impact patient safety. The purpose of this study was to examine the most effective staff recall system (SRS) for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) during times of acute staffing deficiencies, whether from unforeseen emergencies or mass call outs. A preposttest design was used to explore the efficacy of the hospital's current CRNA SRS compared to a newly developed short message system (SMS) Acute Staffing Deficiency Recall Plan. Two 60-minute simulation drills were conducted to test the two systems with a convenience sample of 317 CRNAs. Data were gathered related to CRNAs: contacted, availability, and length of time to contact. Surveys were utilized pre/ post to evaluate knowledge, confidence, and self-efficacy regarding the recall systems. During the first simulation drill, 26% of CRNAs were contacted and 19% confirmed availability within 60 minutes using the standard CRNA SRS. During the second simulation, 86% of the CRNAs were contacted and 38% confirmed availability using the SMS messaging system within 60 minutes (P < .00001 and P < .0001 respectively). The SMS messaging improved CRNA contact by 60% and availability improved by 19% over the standard SRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To explore how a simulation-enhanced interprofessional experience (sim-IPE) affected students' ability to identify cognitive bias and how interprofessional teams improve patient outcomes. Methods In the sim-IPE group, there were 12 interprofessional teams consisting of at least 1 nursing student and 2 physical therapy students. Eight of the 12 teams also consisted of 1 to 4 radiation therapy students. In the fall semester, the nursing students were scheduled in groups of 11 students and served as a comparison group. This project involved prelearning activities focusing on cognitive bias, participation in a sim-IPE activity focusing on situational awareness, and reflective writing. The students' ability to identify safety threats individually and in teams was evaluated using data collection sheets. Qualitative data was analyzed from reflections. Results Nursing (n = 39), physical therapy (n = 57), and radiation therapy (n = 16) students, and a comparison group of only nursing students (n = 41) participated in the study. The top 3 safety errors identified by participants were exposed bodily fluids, unsecured medications, and a messy room. The sim-IPE group identified poor tissue oxygenation as the biggest safety error. Students from the interprofessional and the comparison groups (92%) identified cognitive bias examples observed in clinical environments. Notably, 42.2% of the sim-IPE group and 14.6% of the comparison group identified interprofessional teamwork as a solution to reducing cognitive bias. Discussion Most students from the interprofessional and the comparison groups have observed cognitive bias situations in the clinical setting and were able to recognize biases. Many students identified interprofessional teams as an opportunity to reduce cognitive bias. Conclusion Cognitive bias exists in health care today and using sim-IPE helped students recognize cognitive bias. This sim- IPE activity provided an opportunity to explore how interprofessional teamwork can reduce cognitive bias and enhance patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A usability study of a Virtual Reality Sterile Urinary Catheter Insertion Game (VR SUCIG) was conducted to understand user needs in regards to this game. Background: Learning and retention of psychomotor skills in health care is essential to safe clinical practice. Bauman suggests games are most useful when they are part of a layered-learning approach; in other words, they support various forms of learning and serve as cognitive aids (Bauman et al., 2014). Intervention: The VR Sterile Urinary Catheter Insertion Game (VRSUCIG) was created by nurses and a computer gaming developer to provide nursing students with a cost-effective way to practice sterile catheter insertion skills in a systematic, evidence-based manner. A usability study and user reaction survey were conducted to gain a deep understanding of user's needs. Methods: Three hundred nursing students, from 9 US nursing schools participated. Participants played the VR SUCIG and completed the System Usability Scale (SUS) and a User Reaction Survey (URS). Results: The SUS for the 2nd generation of the VR SUCIG was 57, or medium usability. The URS demonstrated the game motivated them to keep practicing. The VR SUCIG promoted repetitive practice of the skill and visually accentuated the concept of sterility. Conclusions. User reactions indicate that nursing students were eager and excited to utilize this technology. Usability scores indicate further refinement of technology is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Study: This study assessed the effectiveness of a virtual interprofessional education (IPE) discharge planning simulation, focusing on collaborative patient education, and recommendations for hospital discharge., Primary Practice Setting: An acute care hospital., Methodology and Sample: The study utilized a virtual IPE discharge planning simulation for health care students from six different programs. The simulation involved prebriefing, icebreaker, team meeting, patient interaction, and debriefing. Assessment included pre- and post-IPE surveys that included the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Competency Self-Assessment Tool, and video analysis using the Modified McMaster-Ottawa Rating Scale., Results: Student participants from diverse health care programs (n =143) included nursing (n = 20), occupational therapy (n = 21), physical therapy (n = 42), physician assistant (n = 38), respiratory therapy (n = 3), and social work (n = 19). All programs except respiratory therapy showed significant improvement in IPEC Competency scores post-IPE, with positive outcomes for understanding other professions' roles. Students' self-reported perceptions of team performance were rated highly in various categories. Video analysis demonstrated strong interrater reliability for team scores., Implications for Case Management Practice: Effective hospital discharge planning is vital for cost reduction and patient care improvement. IPE emphasizes collaborative learning among health care students. Previous studies highlight positive outcomes from IPE discharge planning, including virtual formats. This virtual IPE discharge planning simulation significantly improved students' understanding and collaboration competencies, evident in increased IPEC scores across five professions., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Instructional strategies must be balanced when subjecting students to full-immersion simulation so as not to discourage learning and increase cognitive overload. The purpose of this study was to determine if participating in a simulation exercise before lecture yielded better performance outcomes among novice learners., Methods: Twenty-nine participants were divided into 2 groups as follows: group 1 participated in simulation exercises followed by a didactic lecture and group 2 participated in the same learning activities presented in the opposite order. Participants were administered a multiple-choice cognitive assessment upon completion of a workshop., Results: Learners who participated in the simulated exercises followed by the didactic lecture performed better on postassessments as compared with those who participated in the simulation after the lecture. A repeated-measures or nested analysis of variance generated statistically significant results in terms of model fit F (α=0.05; 4.54)=176.07 with a P<0.0001. Despite their higher levels of increased performance, 76% of those who participated in simulation activities first indicated that they would have preferred to participate in a lecture first., Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that differences occur among learners when the sequencing of instructional components is altered. Learners who participated in simulation before lecture demonstrated increased knowledge compared with learners who participated in simulation after a lecture.