Concept or technology-based learning in applied pharmacology: best practices in clinical nursing education

Concept or technology-based learning in applied pharmacology: best practices in clinical nursing education

Academic Year:
2013 - 2014 (June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2014)
Funding Requested:
$10,000.00
Project Dates:
-
Applicant(s):
Overview of the Project:
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether concept-based (CB) or technology-based (TB) teaching strategies compared to "teaching as usual (TAU)" increases the USN competency in applied nursing pharmacology. The CB approach involves the integration of concepts gained from prior courses to the patient for whom the student is providing care [5, 7]. The TB teaching approach involves the use of a point-of-care computer-assisted pharmacology (CAP) nursing resource in order to apply pharmacological knowledge specific to the patient for whom the student is providing care. Both of these approaches are expected to be superior to TAU and result in improved pharmacology competency, determined with a lab-simulated pharmacology evaluation (safety) and a customized applied pharmacology exam (knowledge). For sophomores enrolled in NUR 256 (N=140), the first nursing course that provides classroom application of pharmacological concepts learned in the lecture-formatted biological sciences, the following aims and hypotheses will be tested: 1. Evaluate two approaches (CB versus TB) on pharmacology competency determined with a customized pharmacology exam and a lab-simulated pharmacology evaluation. 1a. The CB compared to TB intervention group will have greater pharmacology competency 2. Compare pharmacology competency for beginning junior level USNs (N=140) who received TAU with NUR 256 sophomores who received the CB or TB intervention. 2a. NUR 256 sophomores exposed to CB or TB interventions will have greater pharmacology competency compared to beginning junior USNs who received TAU. The overall long-range goal of this project is to systematically improve applied pharmacology competency for our undergraduate nursing students.
Final Report Fields
Project Objectives:

The purpose is to improve students’ application of pharmacology knowledge gleaned from lecture-formatted biological sciences, using the following aims: 1. Examine two strategies (CB versus TB) on pharmacology competency determined with a customized pharmacology knowledge aptitude test (P-KAT) and a lab-simulated pharmacology evaluation (P-SIM). 2. Compare beginning junior level students’ pharmacology competency resulting from TAU (control group) to sophomore level students who received either the CB or TB intervention.

Project Achievements:

Major outcomes included; pharmacology simulation scores in ethical and knowledge competency were significantly higher in those receiving the interventions versus those who were educated in pharmacology as usual (beginning juniors)There were no significant difference in didactic pharmacology scores for any group. Impact for our School: national presentation abstract is in submission by next week; manuscript nearly completed and will be submitted to Journal of Nursing Education, tools created within grant are still being used by sophomore faculty for helping students learn the application of pharm to their patients at UMHS and our SIM lab encounters have changed so that all students are individually assessed rather than group teaching. Our prior methods of evaluation were probably too lenient

Continuation:
no; still awaiting publication and conference presentation ; we did do one poster presentation in 2015
Dissemination:
Paper presentation offered to AACN; QESEN poster presentation in 2015; manuscript submission
Advice to your Colleagues:
some faculty resistant to extra work that this required in the clinical environment; we tried to be thoughtful, but thought they'd be excited to be part of a research project: WRONG! We worked well with operationalization: rounds, mini-evaluations, pilot tested it, training sessions; all went well. Never double side any assessment records; lost quit a bit of data in the SIM lab due to a systematic error called: flip the page over for more information