Felissa R. Lashley

Current Use and Opinions regarding HUMAN PATIENT SIMULATORS IN NURSING EDUCATION: AN INTERNATIONAL SURVEY

The human patient simulator (HPS) has recently been introduced as an adjunct technology in nursing education. An international survey of nursing schools and simulation centers that collaborate with nursing schools and have purchased a Medical Education Technologies, Inc. (METI) HPS™ was undertaken in 2002. Thirty-four schools of nursing (18 based in universities and 16 based in community colleges) and six simulation centers participated in the survey. Information gathered from the survey and reported on in this article includes curricular use, faculty time and use, student opinions, evaluation, and other uses of the HPS, specifically in research and continuing education. The results provide a foundation for early use of the HPS in nursing education at all levels.

Topical Capsaicin in the Management of HIV-Associated Peripheral Neuropathy

Distal symmetrical peripheral neuropathy (DSPN) is a particularly distressing pain syndrome associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. Capsaicin has been found to be effective in relieving pain associated with other neuropathic pain syndromes, and is mentioned as a possible topical adjuvant analgesic for the relief of DSPN. This multicenter, controlled, randomized, double-masked clinical trial studied patients with HIV-associated DSPN and compared measures of pain intensity, pain relief, sensory perception, quality of life, mood, and function for patients who received topical capsaicin to the corresponding measures for patients who received the vehicle only. Twenty-six subjects were enrolled in the study. At the end of 1 week, subjects receiving capsaicin tended to report higher current pain scores than did subjects receiving the vehicle (Mann-Whitney test; P = 0.042). The dropout rate was higher for the capsaicin group (67%) than for the vehicle group (18%) (chi 2 test of association; P = 0.014). There were no other statistically significant differences between the capsaicin and vehicle groups with respect to current pain, worst pain, pain relief, sensory perception, quality of life, mood, or function at study entry or at any time during the 4-week trial. These results suggest capsaicin is ineffective in relieving pain associated with HIV-associated DSPN.

Human patient simulators in nursing education: an overview

Professional competency will be a critical performance outcome in the years ahead. Current investigations have found an alarming increase in the morbidity and morality rates of individuals in hospitals across the United States. With such findings, the competency levels of health care professionals, including nurses, are under scrutiny. The use of human patient simulators (adult and pediatric) in baccalaureate and graduate nursing education provides an excellent, objective tool by which to measure competency in the application of knowledge and technical skills. Emphasis is placed on educational, research, and evaluative applications of the simulators for nursing education. Critical Incident Nursing Management is further described as an instructional framework for the use of this technology. Last, administrative considerations will be addressed.

Critical Incident Nursing Management Using Human Patient Simulators

Abstract Knowledge, technical skills, and critical thinking are essential components of nursing education. Recent headlines have highlighted the need for the objective measurement of these essential components. The use of human patient simulators in the nursing curriculum provides cutting-edge technology for the comprehensive, objective measurement of the students knowledge, technical skill level, and critical thinking abilities. This article is an overview of the capabilities of the human patient simulator and how the technology can be used for competency-based instruction and critical incident nursing management in undergraduate and graduate nursing curricula. Student, faculty, and administrative considerations are also discussed.

Factors Contributing to the Occurrence of Emerging Infectious Diseases

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) have been receiving increasing attention for more than two decades. Such attention has resulted from observations of increasing resistance of microorganisms to the usual antibiotics, the identification of formerly unknown disease agents and the diseases they cause, and the realization that the concept of globalization includes global exposure to disease agents formerly confined to small, endemic, or remote areas. Sadly, in the fall of 2001, the potential for using microbial agents as instruments of terror and destruction became obvious with the incidents of anthrax spread in the United States, mainly through the mail, although chemical and biological agents had already been used in this way in the past century. The relationship between infectious diseases and social, political, and economic change from the earliest times to the present has been well documented. Emerging infectious diseases and their basic causes present a threat to the stability of nations and indeed the world. Reasons for the emergence/reemergence of infectious diseases are complex and interrelated. The global village provides global economic and social opportunities but also opportunities for disease emergence and transmission. Although characteristics of microorganisms such as genetic adaptive changes are important in the emergence of infectious diseases, factors under human control play a large role. Behavioral and lifestyle choices are also a major influence on the emergence and spread of many EIDs and require attention. Factors contributing to the appearance of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases are discussed.