Development and Evaluation of an Epidural Analgesia Workshop for Senior Nursing Students.

Abstract

Most prelicensure nursing students receive little to no training in providing care for patients who receive epidural analgesia, despite exposure in clinical settings and the potential for devastating adverse effects. To develop and pilot an epidural workshop for senior nursing students using standardized patients (SPs), and to evaluate feasibility and learner outcomes. A 4-hour epidural workshop consisted of a large group lecture and demonstration, small-group practice scenarios, and individual learner evaluation with SPs. Learning outcomes were evaluated using a performance checklist and critical thinking rubric, and pre- and posttests. Participants scored well on the performance-based evaluation (mean score of 86% items performed correctly) and rated the workshop highly. However, learners and instructors made several recommendations for improving the learning module for future sessions. This pilot project demonstrated that an epidural analgesia workshop using SPs is feasible and results in positive learning outcomes and high satisfaction with senior nursing students. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(6):359-365.].