Student Satisfaction with an Innovative Educational Approach in the Time of COVID-19

Introduction

COVID-19 restrictions caused significant disruptions in nursing education as many nursing programs closed their campuses and moved online.  An online sepsis simulation with an innovative interpersonal, engagement component was developed.

The setting of the project is a suburban community college Associate Degree Nursing program (ADN). The 27 participants in this project were third semester nursing students.

Liu et al. (2014), an often-referenced study in peer reviewed sepsis inquiries, found sepsis contributed to one in every 2 to 3 hospital deaths. 

The purpose of this project was to identify what the nursing students, in an identify as effective learning methods regarding sepsis recognition when taught using an innovative educational approach implemented in response to a pandemic. 

Description

Intra-Simulation Engagement (ISE) is an educational concept that bridges didactic to simulation learning with intrapersonal engagement during an evolving simulation. It supports student collaboration and interaction with the content expert.  
Learning objectives and specific questions for each stage of the simulation were identified by the instructors. 

The students were divided into groups and rotated from the observation group to the “bedside”. An instructor interacted with the students observing the simulation. The instructor communicated with the students via text to provide support and encourage, serve as the clinical expert, and coach the students in knowledge application. Texting allowed the students to communicate among themselves. This provided an opportunity for learning by including implications of interventions, assessment findings, medications and indications and contraindications, and the significance of lab results and vital signs. 

This was not a question and answer session, but rather a group discussion with the faculty that provided the opportunity for the students to collaborate to succeed. 

An exploratory qualitative descriptive (EQD) methodology was utilized to explore the question: 
What do third semesters nursing students in an Associate Degree Nursing program identify as effective learning about sepsis recognition when taught using an innovative educational approach implemented in response to a pandemic that resulted in a major healthcare disruption in healthcare and educational institution? 

Discussion

There was a 96% positive response that affirmed the student’s belief that the scenario increased their ability to recognize sepsis. There was also significant support on the engagement between the learner and their fellow students and instructor. A 92.6% satisfaction with an unfamiliar innovative simulation instructional method was reported. This is a potential opportunity to increase patient sepsis survival.  This project may serve as an inquiry into student satisfaction with nursing educational delivery methods during catastrophic events such as pandemics, hurricanes, and flooding.  

< Back to Oral Presentations