Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2007. / Title from title screen (site viewed Dec. 4, 2007). PDF text: xii, 199 p. : col. ill. ; 1 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3271929. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

A Standardized Patient (SP) is a trained actor who portrays a particular illness to provide training to medical students and professionals. SPs primarily use written scripts and additional paper-based training for preparation of practical and board exams. Many institutions use various methods for training such as hiring preceptors for reenactment of scenarios, viewing archived videos, and computer based training. Currently, the training that is available can be enhanced to improve the level of quality of standardized patients. The following research is examining current processes in standardized patient training and investigating new methods for clinical skills education in SPs. The modality that is selected for training can possibly affect the performance of the actual SP case. This paper explains the results of a study that investigates if there is a difference in the results of an SP performance assessment. This difference can be seen when comparing a virtual human modality to that of a pre-recorded human modality for standardized patient training. The sample population navigates through an interactive computer based training module which provides informational content on what the roles of an SP are, training objectives, a practice session, and an interactive performance assessment with a simulated Virtual Human medical student. Half of the subjects interact with an animated virtual human medical student while the other half interacts with a pre-recorded human. The interactions from this assessment are audio-recorded, transcribed, and then graded to see how the two modalities compare. If the performance when using virtual humans for standardized patients is equal to or superior to pre-recorded humans, this can be utilized as a part task trainer that brings standardized patients to a higher level of effectiveness and standardization. In addition, if executed properly, this tool could potentially be used as a part task trainer which could provide savings in training time, resources, budget, and staff to military and civilian healthcare facilities.

This study examined the use of a simulated patient, or programmed patient, to train clinical psychology graduate students to be empathic and respectful in the psychotherapeutic relationship. Twenty-five subjects were given a 50-minute training session with a simulated patient, an alternate training which consisted of viewing a video tape or were no-attention control subjects. The video tape used for the alternate training consisted of the section of "Three Approaches to Psychotherapy" in which Carl Rogers interviews the client, Gloria, followed by a discussion of empathy and respect. Training with the simulated client consisted of interviewing the "client" and receiving feedback from her. Pre-post empathy and respect skills were evaluated with Carkhuff's 5-point scales. Subjects' responses to recorded client statements were judged by two trained raters. Interjudge agreement ranged from .66 to .74. Analysis of variance revealed no significant difference between increases in empathy and respect for the three experimental groups. Subjects with more than one year of graduate clinical training profited significantly more (p = .05) from both training experiences than did subjects with less than one year of training. There was also a significant interaction between experimental training received and level of clinical experience, inexperienced subjects scoring higher with the simulated patient than with the video tape training. More advanced subjects scored higher with the video training than with the simulated patient training. Interview data indicated that the training with the simulated patient was perceived as useful and, in the case of more-experienced subjects, as being superior to the training with the video tape. Possible difficulties with the measurement of empathy and respect are discussed. The use of simulated patients is reviewed and the selection and training of simulated patients discussed in some depth.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Mar. 25, 2010). "November 2008." Research paper (M.S.), 3 hrs. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-68).

Thesis (M.S.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Mar. 17, 2010). "November, 2008." Research paper (M.S.), 3 hrs. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Mar. 17, 2010). Research paper (M.S.), 3 hrs. Includes bibliographical references (p. 50-53).

Although Nurse Educators are aware of the advantages of simulation-based training, some still feel uncomfortable to use technology or lack the motivation to learn how to use the technology. The aging population of nurse educators cause frustration and anxiety. They struggle with how to include these tools, particularly in the light of faculty shortages. Nursing education programmes are increasingly adopting simulation in both undergraduate and graduate curricula. Scoping literature reviews show that nursing practice has changed in recent years, placing demands on nurse educators to utilise different approaches in education. The fact that nurse educators are an aging population needs to be taken into consideration and acknowledge that many of them did not grow up with computers and lag behind in technological skills. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of nurse educators regarding the use of high-fidelity simulation in nursing education at a South African Private Nursing College in order to be able to determine why High-fidelity Simulators (HFS) have not yet been embraced by nurse educators and students. A national survey of nurse educators and clinical training specialists was completed with 128 participants; but only 79 completed the survey. In addition to background information, participants were questioned about their use of simulators. They were asked to complete the Technology Readiness Index. Information was also obtained regarding their perceptions of the use of HFS. Findings included indications that everyone is at the same level as far as technology readiness is concerned; this, however, does not play a large role in the use of HFS. This finding supports the educators’ need for training to adequately prepare them to use simulation equipment. Recommendations for further study include research to determine what other factors play a role in the use of HFS, studies to determine whether the benefits of HFS are superior to other teaching strategies warranting the time and financial commitment. The results of this study can be used as guidelines for other institutions to prepare their teaching staff for the use of HFS.

Simulation affords the student a safe and supportive environment in which to practise skills repeatedly without causing any harm to a real patient. The Department of Nursing Sciences at the University of Fort Hare has a laboratory that offers lowto medium-fidelity simulation in the form of task trainers and mannequins. These task trainers and mannequins are used in general nursing, and in community and midwifery nursing sciences, for the demonstration of skills, the practising of skills by students and for formative assessments. In midwifery, task trainers are used for vaginal examinations, abdominal palpation breech and vaginal deliveries and the management of post-partum haemorrhage (PPH). Given that in a real-life clinical environment limited opportunities exist for students to practise during an obstetrical emergency, medium-fidelity simulation (MFS) in midwifery ideally positions the student in a practical environment without risking the patient’s safety. Despite the availability of MFS at UFH, its benefit on the clinical readiness of student midwives is not known. The present study was designed to assess the effectiveness of MFS in enhancing the clinical readiness of student midwives at the University of Fort Hare. The main research objective of the study was to explore, describe and analyse the effect of medium-fidelity simulation on student midwives’ confidence, critical thinking ability, communication, satisfaction and team work in an obstetrical clinical emergency environment. This was a qualitative, interpretive, phenomenological analysis designed to explore the student midwives’ lived experiences regarding the effectiveness of mediumfidelity simulation and the effect of these experiences on clinical readiness. The target population was fourth-year Bachelor of nursing student midwives at the University of Fort Hare. Purposive sampling was used to select five student midwives who were team leaders during the management of PPH using MFS. Ethical approval was granted by the University of Fort Hare Ethics Committee. Informed consent was obtained from the participants prior to data collection. Trustworthiness was ensured by observing the principles of transferability, credibility, confirmability and dependability. Data was collected through individual face-to-face interviews and a semi-structured interview guide. All fourth-year student midwives had viewed an on-line video entitled Essential Steps in Management of Obstetrical Emergency(ESMOE) Postpartum Haemorrhage, in which the procedure was demonstrated. The video, sent via Backboard, was presented in such a way that student midwives had the opportunity to watch it repeatedly in order to thoroughly comprehend the demonstrated skill. A semi-structured interview guide was used for data collection. Interviews were conducted in the simulation laboratory. A Samsung smartphone was used to record interviews and a notepad was used to make notes of gestures, such as smiles or other facial expressions. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis applicable to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) studies using the six steps: reading and re-reading; initial noting taking; developing emergent themes; searching for connections across the emergent themes; moving to the next case and lastly, looking for patterns across cases. The major findings indicated that the participants had differing views regarding the concept of clinical readiness; some held that clinical readiness meant being ready or prepared to handle any eventuality in the course of work, others opined that it was a state of being conversant with the policies and procedures in the clinical ward. Participants believed that clinical readiness was parallel to being competent and that midwives should always be ready to anticipate complications that might arise with the patient, endeavouring to analyse and interpret such conditions clinically. Participants expressed the need to see the simulation skill demonstrated repeatedly for thorough understanding of the technique, so that they could work independently in an obstetrical emergency situation. During simulation, participants were confident in delegating duties to team members, affirming that in order to ensure that tasks were carried out, team leaders should receive regular updates from team members.

The efficacy of using simulated patients (SPs) to train clinical interviewing skills in pre-practicum- and practicum-level mental health clinicians was evaluated compared to the use of traditional role-play with peers. Participants, regardless of group, engaged in a 15-minute videotaped simulated clinical session with an SP as a pre- and post-test measurement and completed five laboratory sessions, either utilizing role-play with peers or with an SP. Participants' counseling self-efficacy (CSE), measured by the Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE); state anxiety, measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Version Y-1 (STAI Y-1); and self-reflective anxiety, measured by the Fear of Negative Evaluation scale (FNE), were assessed pre- and post-intervention. An inventory to evaluate participants' clinical competency acquisition, the Skills in Psychological Interviewing: Clinical Evaluation Scale (SPICES), was developed for the study. All participants, regardless of group, improved significantly on all measurements except fear of negative evaluation. No differences were observed between groups on outcome variables. However, all participants' pre- and post-test interaction with the SP may account for these improvements. CSE, state anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation were found to account for a small amount of variance in clinical competency acquisition in this study. The piloted SPICES scale exhibited good validity and strong inter-rater reliability estimates. Results support the efficacy of these training methods in decreasing student clinicians' anxiety levels and in increasing students' CSE and skill acquisition; furthermore, a clinical competency measure is introduced.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Duquesne University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-103) and index.