Does the High-fidelity Simulation Experience Impact (Student) Learning Outcomes with the Diabetic Ketoacidosis Patient?

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States (Desai et al., 2018). Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication that warrants immediate nursing intervention. The purpose of this study is to determine if high-fidelity simulation experiences impact student learning outcomes for caring for DKA patients. Methods: The participants had didactic instruction on DKA pathology and nursing care. Before the high-fidelity simulation, the participants received learning objectives and questions to research. The participants completed a pre-stimulation test, participated in the high-fidelity DKA simulation, and then completed the post-simulation test. Results: The results of the study were overall positive. The students demonstrated a 70% increase in choosing the correct answer through pre and post-test analysis. Conclusions: The results of this research demonstrated that including a DKA simulation experience increased the students’ knowledge.