Wendy M. Nehring

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.

Nursing Simulation: A Review of the Past 40 Years

Simulation, in its many forms, has been a part of nursing education and practice for many years. The use of games, computer-assisted instruction, standardized patients, virtual reality, and low-fidelity to high-fidelity mannequins have appeared in the past 40 years, whereas anatomical models, partial task trainers, and role playing were used earlier. A historical examination of these many forms of simulation in nursing is presented, followed by a discussion of the roles of simulation in both nursing education and practice. A viewpoint concerning the future of simulation in nursing concludes this article.

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.

Voices not heard: A systematic review of adolescents' and emerging adults' perspectives of health care transition

BACKGROUND A better understanding of the needs of adolescents and emerging adults with special health care needs (AEA-SHCNs) is essential to provide health care transition services that represent best practices. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the research on health care transition for AEA-SHCNs from their perspectives. METHODS A comprehensive literature review of research publications since 2005 was performed using the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and EBSCO databases. Thirty-five studies met the final review criteria. RESULTS The process of transition from child to adult for AEA-SHCNs is complex. Individuals experiencing the transition desire to be a part of the process and want providers who will listen and be sensitive to their needs, which are often different from others receiving health care at the same facility. CONCLUSIONS More research that considers the voice of the AEA-SHCNs related to transition from pediatric to adult care is needed.

Uncharted Territory: Systematic Review of Providers' Roles, Understanding, and Views Pertaining to Health Care Transition

BACKGROUND Health care transition (HCT) for adolescents and emerging adults (AEA) with special health care needs is an emerging field of interdisciplinary field of practice and research that is based upon an intergenerational approach involving care coordination between pediatric and adult systems of health care. Informed understanding of the state of the HCT science pertaining to this group of providers is needed in order to develop and implement service programs that will meet the comprehensive needs of AEA with special health care needs. METHODS The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature on the transition from child to adult care for adolescents and emerging adults (AEA) with special health care needs from 2004 to 2013. Fifty-five articles were selected for this review. An adaptation of the PRISMA guidelines was applied because all studies in this review used descriptive designs. RESULTS Findings revealed lack of evidence due to the limitations of the research designs and methodology of the studies included in this systematic review. Study findings were categorized the following four types: adult provider competency, provider perspectives, provider attitudes, and HCT service models. The discipline of medicine was predominant; interdisciplinary frameworks based upon integrated care were not reported. Few studies included samples of adult providers. CONCLUSIONS Empirical-based data are lacking pertaining to the role of providers involved in this specialty area of practice. Evidence is hampered by the limitations of the lack of rigorous research designs and methodology.

Transition Needs of Parents of Adolescents and Emerging Adults With Special Health Care Needs and Disabilities

The period of health care transition (HCT) for adolescents and emerging adults with special health care needs and disabilities involves a complex realignment of the parent–child relationship, including alterations in role responsibilities and decision making. The purpose of this systematic review was to analyze the research designs, methodology, and findings reported in studies of parents during this transition period to provide new insights for research and clinical practice. Results showed that parents were unable to clearly envision what the future held for their children and were not well prepared by the service system to anticipate future prospects. These parents have a myriad of needs that are not yet fully understood, as HCT research is in the early stages of development.

Systematic review: Health care transition practice service models

BACKGROUND Nearly 750,000 adolescents and emerging adults with special health care needs (AEA-SHCN) enter into adulthood annually. The linkages to ensure the seamless transfer of care from pediatric to adult care and transition to adulthood for AEA-SHCN have yet to be realized. PURPOSE The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the state of the science of health care transition (HCT) service models as described in quantitative investigations. METHODS A four-tier screening approach was used to obtain reviewed articles published from 2004 to 2013. A total of 17 articles were included in this review. DISCUSSION Transfer of care was the most prominent intervention feature. Overall, using the Effective Public Health Practice Project criteria, the studies were rated as weak. Limitations included lack of control groups, rigorous designs and methodology, and incomplete intervention descriptions. CONCLUSION As the findings indicate, HCT is an emerging field of practice that is largely in the exploratory stage of model development.

Advancing the Development of the Guidelines for the Nursing of Children, Adolescents, and Families: 2014 Revision: Process, Development, and Dissemination.

This article details the process used to develop the revision of the original Guidelines that resulted in the development of the 2014 Health Care Quality and Outcomes Guidelines for Nursing of Children, Adolescents, and Families. Members of the 2014 Guidelines Revision Task Force conducted an extensive process of revision, which included the input and approval of 16 pediatric and child health nursing and affiliated organizational endorsements. The revised Guidelines were presented to and endorsed by the American Academy of Nursing Board. These Guidelines are designed for use by pediatric and child health nurses who work in a range of health care and community-based settings. The Guidelines are proposed to be used as a framework for nurse-directed services and intervention development and testing, as a model for undergraduate and graduate pediatric and child health nursing program curriculum development, and as the theoretical basis for nursing investigations on the care of children, adolescents, and families.

History of Health Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disability

The history of health care for people with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) shares similarities with the general population, but is composed of inequalities, a lack of access, poorer quality, and higher costs. This chapter will explore this history through a discussion of major issues.