Beth Phillips

Using virtual environments to enhance nursing distance education.

Distance education has traditionally been two-dimensional, with limited interaction. Virtual environments enhance distance education learning through real-time interaction and social collaboration that mimic the real world. Virtual environments offer the option to create social and professional relationships that have been a missing component of distance learning.

The academic‐practice gap: Strategies for an enduring problem

The academic-practice gap in nursing is well documented. Academe is criticized for producing nurses insufficiently prepared to fully participate in patient care. Practice settings are criticized for having unrealistic expectations of new graduates. This article is based on a review of the literature and an exploration of contemporary practices used to bridge academic and practice partnerships. Differences in outcome expectations for new graduates between academe and practice are outlined and consequences of the gap for new graduates, patients, and employers are discussed. Five specific strategies to address the gap are discussed, with the primary realm and responsibility for two falling to education, one to practice, and two to both. Strategies discussed include increased use of simulated learning in nursing education; disruptive innovations in education that promote learner-centered active learning; extended orientation/Transition to Practice Programs for new graduates; dedicated education units; and academic service partnerships. Current literature suggests the viewpoints of academic and practice leaders continue to appear divergent. Closing the gap will require a dedicated and coordinated response from both academe and clinical practice.

It Takes a Village”: An Interprofessional Patient Safety Experience for Nursing and Medical Students

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) is a “core” competency in professional school education. Challenges to successful collaboration include: aligning student abilities/experience, providing meaningful clinically-based interaction, and the need for extensive planning. Methods: Curriculum. A 3-1/2 hour IPE patient safety experience for final-semester medical and nursing students was developed. The content included an introduction, small-group low-fidelity simulation, and a large-group discussion of patient safety events observed by students during clinical rotations. Logistics. A planning committee met monthly to plan the curriculum and train faculty facilitators. Four sessions were held, accommodating 92 medical and 82 nursing students. Thirty faculty facilitators and 10 support personnel were needed for each session. Results: Over 70% students reported that the experience resulted in new learning and prompted self-reflection; 57% said it would change their practice. Students confirmed that the experience taught them about the importance of patient involvement in the team, the development of a shared mental model, and the importance of everyone’s role on the team. Conclusions: This collaboration successfully aligned students with similar levels of clinical experience, involved many faculty from both professional schools, and gave students opportunities to discuss differences in their roles and responsibilities, while highlighting patient-centered care.