The Impact of Simulation on Graduate Entry Master's Students' Confidence to Provide Safe Patient Care: A Longitudinal Study

Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Curriculum Survey of Midwifery Programs in the United States

INTRODUCTION

The health attributes and advantages of breastfeeding are well documented in the literature. Current research identifies the importance of comprehensive lactation knowledge among health care professionals to improve breastfeeding outcomes. Educational curricula to incorporate lactation content is necessary for student preparedness to provide competent care. Midwives are in a unique position to support, promote, and manage breastfeeding. The purpose of this study was to survey Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME)-accredited midwifery education programs in the United States for their breastfeeding curricular content including opportunities for clinical experiences in managing and counseling breastfeeding parents.

METHODS

A descriptive survey was deployed online to midwifery programs listed by the American College of Nurse-Midwives, with a response completion rate of 44.7%. Data collection included program descriptors, hours of lactation content, educational topics, faculty preparation, use of simulation, and clinical breastfeeding experiences.

RESULTS

Descriptive analyses revealed differences among the midwifery education programs surveyed regarding the amount of lactation content and clinical opportunities. Two programs offer a course specific to breastfeeding, with the remaining programs providing lactation content threaded throughout their curricula; 29.4% of programs offer 3 to 4 hours of lactation content, 35.3% report 5 to 8 hours of content, and 11.8% provide at least 10 hours of content. One program reports 18+ hours of content provided in both didactic and clinical settings. All programs report providing breastfeeding clinical opportunities for students; 18% of programs offer simulation experiences. No programs report using standardized lactation clinical competencies.

DISCUSSION

Midwives play a pivotal role in breastfeeding promotion, counseling, and clinical support. Standardization of didactic lactation education will assist programs in future curriculum mapping. Given the variability of clinical settings and patient access, creating clinical competencies and providing lactation simulation experiences may offer midwifery students a broader opportunity to gain critical skills in lactation management to best support breastfeeding families.

Simulation Based-Learning from Simple to Complicated Clinical Situations for Midwifery Students

PURPOSE

A health professional's learning curriculum should lead to the acquisition of technical and non-technical skills. This study aims at demonstrating the impact of simulation-based learning (SBL) experience on the learning of midwifery students.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Using an experimental design, the experimental group (n=14) received pretest, high fidelity simulation, then a post-test. Whereas the control group (n=14) received pretest, revision of the theoretical course instead of simulation, post-test 1, high fidelity simulation, then a post-test 2. The first scenario was about a normal childbirth when the midwifery students were in their 2nd year. And then the second one was about immediate postpartum hemorrhage when the students moved to their 3rd year.

RESULTS

During the simulation sessions, the experimental group had a higher mean score in the post-test than the control group. This indicated that the simulation significantly (p<0.001) increased the students' knowledge. Also, for both eutocic and dystocic delivery simulation experiments, students obtained higher score in the second simulation sessions (19.69 and 19.4 for eutocic and dystocic, respectively) than in the first session (11.23 and 9.12 for eutocic and dystocic, respectively; p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

These findings confirm that SBL offers an opportunity for learners to be immersed in an environment that is closer to reality, thus improving learning in a safe environment.

Developing Mental Health-Related Simulation Activities for an Australian Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum

BACKGROUND

Although simulation-based learning experiences have been widely used in nursing curricula to develop confidence, knowledge, and skills, the use of mental health-related simulation in undergraduate nursing education is sparse.

METHOD

This project aimed to develop a simulation activity that incorporated the National Safety and Quality Health Service standards in acute mental health for undergraduate nursing students to prepare them for their clinical practicum in mental health. Clinical confidence was evaluated using the Mental Health Clinical Confidence scale.

RESULTS

Mental health clinical confidence increased in students following the activity.

CONCLUSION

The findings show simulation activities that build on existing knowledge improve student confidence in providing care for people with mental health conditions. This article reports on the development and implementation of a mental health-related simulation-based learning experience in an undergraduate nursing program and builds on the existing knowledge of simulation-based learning in health care education. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(6):356-361.].

Using Simulation to Teach Breastfeeding Management Skills and Improve Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy

Breastfeeding rates in the United States continue to be variable and are not meeting benchmarks established by Healthy People 2020. The literature indicates that although breastfeeding knowledge of providers is paramount in the success of breastfeeding mothers, most receive minimal education regarding breastfeeding management. Recognizing a lack of opportunities for nursing students to practice breastfeeding management during clinical rotations, a breastfeeding simulation program was implemented for students prior to beginning Maternal Child Health clinicals. Students reported increased confidence in caring for breastfeeding dyads and enhanced comfort when providing care to a breastfeeding mother (breastfeeding self-efficacy). This hands-on educational approach can be utilized for any provider working with breastfeeding dyads.