Capstone College of Nursing

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Virtual Nursing/Nursing Clinical Decisions
Patient Outcomes
Angela Collins, DSN, RN Associate Professor Becky
Edwards, MSN, RN Assistant Professor Marilyn
Handley, PhD, RN Assistant Professor
Ann Graves, MS, RN Instructor Donna Gullette,
DSN, RN Assistant Professor
Capstone College of Nursing The University of
Alabama
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Learning Clinical Judgment Situational
Awareness with Virtual Consequences
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Problem
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Situational Awareness
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Knowledge without experience is just
information.
Mark Twain
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Challenge
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Challenge
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Could both students and nursing staff learn from
the consequences of their actions without harm to
the patient?
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Virtual Teaching Method
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Interactive CD
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Interactive CD
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Team Members
Nursing faculty Hospital nurses Computer
programmers Video producers Student actors
? ? ? ? ?
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Funding
The University of Alabama provided a technology
grant for the creation of the first and second
nursing CD in this series.
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Interactive CD
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Principles of Learning
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Purpose
By actually seeing the consequences of nursing
decision making when caring for critically ill
patients in a virtual setting, learners can
clearly associate cause and effect on patient
outcomes.
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Nine Decision Points
Time to recheck blood glucose after IV
titration Rate calculation relevant to IV KCL
administration Physician or NP clarification of
orders Acid-Base effects on electrolytes of
glucose and potassium Electrolyte shifts that
occur with acid-base changes Choice of fluid when
administering different medications IV push Rate
of glucose, electrolyte shifts when DKA is
treated Rate calculations of concentrated
electrolyte solution Glasgow Coma Scale
Assessment Scoring
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
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Decision Points
At each of the 9 decision points the learner
selects among the choices presented.
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Decision Points
Correct Decision
Incorrect Decision
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Explanation and Rationale
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Documentation
? ?
Learners actions are logged Final report is
generated and can be printed
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Strengths
The CD is a visual story of one critically ill
virtual patients experience during a critical
situation in his life when he was brought
unconscious to the ED.
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Strengths
Requires learners to integrate symptoms,
medications, laboratory findings, and
physiological consequences within a realistic
timeframe.
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Strengths
Video footage or animation depict the
consequences of decisions made.
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Strengths
Designed to simulate real world situations and to
identify strengths and weaknesses of learners as
they progress through care of the virtual patient.
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Strengths
Emphasizes the importance of clinical
pharmacology and the potential harm triggered by
medications errors, which is a JCAHO focus.
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Strengths
CD is designed to work on any Windows-based
computer. User-friendly navigation allows
learners to progress through care of the virtual
patient with ease.
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Evaluation
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Outcomes
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Awards
Recipient of the 2004 Excellence in Teaching
Award from the Alabama League for Nursing. (May
2004) Recipient of the Computer-Based
Professional Education Technology Regional Award
from the International Sigma Theta Tau. (November
2004)
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Summary
The essence of expert clinical practice is
pattern recognition and application of critical
thinking as part of the decision-making process.
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The Nursing Clinical Decisions Patient Outcomes
CD accomplishes all of this
Pattern recognition Application of
critical thinking Learning from patients
? ? ?
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For More Information
To order the Nursing Clinical Decisions Patient
Outcomes CD or to receive a CD demo go to
http//nursing.ua.edu/ncd_demo_ order_form.htm
OR
Visit our Web site at http//nursing.ua.edu/ncd.ht
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