Board 285 - Program Innovations Abstract Using professional actors in simulation teaching of communication skills

Abstract

Introduction/Background The teaching of communication skills of nurses in the Czech Republic is mostly carried out by theoretical teaching. It became evident that the application of this knowledge is difficult to apply to practice. Simulation teaching offers a more effective alternative in the field of communication skills of nurses. Simulation enables, besides other things, a link between theory and practice and an immediate feedback to students. The most realistic simulations are achieved with actors, who represent real patients, so called standardized patients. The professional actors performing standardized patients have not been involved in simulated education in the Czech Republic yet. The aim of our project was to develop methodology of creating simulation courses for nurses based on scenarios with professional actors respecting culture environment of the Czech Republic. Methods The development of methodology was challenging: we had to choose the type of scenarios, how to control the actors, to determine the size of group and the structure of individual blocks. The scenarios were prepared by psychologist and scriptwriter. As the optimal solution we have chosen semi-structured scenarios giving a certain amount of freedom to the actor during performance, while at the same time the psychologist wirelessly prompt the actor. In the roles of standardized patients we have cast professional actors from Brno’s Theaters. Eight to ten students experienced the simulated situations with the given type of patient in one block. Blocks of simulation teaching started with a general introduction into the given subject. The simulation itself took from 5 to 10 minutes. The teaching took place in three adjacent rooms with an audio visual link (a simulated hospital room; a room to follow the course of simulation and for debriefing; a room for teachers and visitors). The simulation was played out according to the following general scheme: A student entered the simulated hospital room where an actor acting a patient had already been waiting. A psychologist and other students were watching the situation on a monitor screen in the next room. If needed, the psychologist could adjust the development of the situation or stop it at all. The debriefing under the guidance of psychologist immediately followed. When required, the particular student could repeat the simulated situation again. At the end of a block, the whole block was evaluated. Results: Conclusion In cooperation with psychologists we have created a simulation training of communication skills for nurses. For the first time in the Czech Republic, we have used standardized patients represented by professional actors. We have created semi-structured scenarios for training appropriate communication simulating jovial, depressive and aggressive patients. There have been 12 blocks of simulation teaching carried out, attended by 83 students of affiliated nursing schools during three months. It follows from a survey (58 returned questionnaires) that 69% of students reevaluated their attitude towards communication with patients, 83% students would like to have simulation teaching added to the curriculum, and 85% of students wish to participate in simulation teaching again. Based on the evaluation, 93% of students perceive the simulation teaching very positively. In the following two years we plan to spend 180 hours of simulation teaching of communication skills for nursing schools students and 160 hours for nursing schools teachers. Based on our methodology we are preparing other scenarios, such as communication with family of deceased person or a handicapped patient. The simulations are not intended for students only but also for professional and general public interested in communication skills. Disclosures None.