Abstract
BackgroundThe need to use innovative teaching and learning strategies in the nursing pedagogy is important in the 21st century. The challenges of clinical sites and opportunities for nursing students to gain clinical experience are a growing concern for many nurse educators. High-fidelity human patient simulators (HFHPS) are computerised mannequins that replicate a real-life patient, and when integrated into classroom teaching they allow students to become fully immersed into an almost real-life scenario.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to describe how HFHPS can promote experiential learning following the management of postpartum haemorrhage as a midwifery clinical emergency.MethodA descriptive qualitative research approach was carried out in this study. The research setting was a local university in KwaZulu-Natal. The total population included all (N = 43) fourth-year baccalaureate of nursing undergraduate student midwives who participated as observers and/or role-players of a scenario role-play. An all-inclusive sampling was performed. There were 43 student midwives involved in the simulation teaching session with 6 of these students actively participating in each role-play at a time, while the remaining 37 observed. This occurred in two separate sessions and all the student midwives were involved in a debriefing session. These student midwives were then followed up and asked to participate in a focus group. The data in this article came from two separate focus groups which comprised 20 student midwives in total. Data were analysed using content analysis.ResultsFour categories emerged from the data, namely HFHPS offers a unique opportunity for student midwives to manage complex real-life emergencies; promotes reflection by allowing student midwives to reflect or review their roles, decisions and skills; allows student midwives to learn from their own experiences and encourages student midwives to try out what they learnt in a real-life situation.ConclusionHigh-fidelity human patient simulators can be used in a complex case scenario to promote experiential learning of a clinical emergency.
Highlights
The development of fundamental clinical skills is an important component in preparing students to meet the responsibilities of a midwife
High-fidelity human patient simulators allow nurse educators a platform to promote experiential learning in a safe environment and decrease the challenges faced in clinical accompaniment
Some criticism exists against Kolb’s experiential learning theory, it was well suited in this study to show how high-fidelity simulation in a PPH scenario promotes the four-phase cycle of experiential learning to role-players and student observers
Summary
The development of fundamental clinical skills is an important component in preparing students to meet the responsibilities of a midwife. Simulation experiences using high-fidelity human patient simulators (HFHPS) provide an effective teaching and learning approach as they allow students to become active and fully participative learners (Jeffries & Jeffries 2012; Powell-Laney, Keen & Hall 2012). High-fidelity human patient simulators are computerised mannequins that imitate real-life signs and symptoms such as breathing, pulse, blood pressure, moaning and blinking to enhance realism (Flood et al 2011; Jeffries & Jeffries 2012). This type of technology allows nurse educators an opportunity to design various case scenarios using advanced equipment and without fear of compromising patient safety. High-fidelity human patient simulators (HFHPS) are computerised mannequins that replicate a real-life patient, and when integrated into classroom teaching they allow students to become fully immersed into an almost real-life scenario
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
