Nancy Peer
Central Connecticut State University, USA
Title: Using digital clinical experiential learning to enhance student learning and promote medication administration safety
Biography
Biography: Nancy Peer
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: Decreased clinical time and the ability to practice nursing skills in patient settings, such as medication administration, has fostered interest in using simulation and digital technology in nursing education. Research has shown that medication errors are associated with a lack of nursing knowledge, nursing skill, and nursing experience, as well as a lack of education on medication administration. Technology is a useful tool but does not replace the use of nursing knowledge/skills or the use of nursing process, which will also improve medication administration and decrease medication administration errors. In using relatively new digital clinical technology with nursing students in an undergraduate nursing program, data can be collected and analyzed to determine the impact of said technology on student learning. These digital clinical experiences encompass virtual hospital patients who will assist the student nurse in utilizing the nursing process to practice medication administration. The students will be assigned three practice patient scenarios (basic, intermediate and complex), which will include all of the pertinent information the student will need to practice safe medication administration. To assess learning, an “unguided” digital experience will be completed and graded as part of their final course assessment. The incorporation of these digital clinical experiences are aimed at providing experiential learning and hands-on practice of pharmacology nursing knowledge and skills – skills that will not be practiced in a clinical setting until course completion. Faculty intend that the use of this digital technology will enhance student learning, while providing the tools to promote medication safety, as outlined below.