A pilot assessment: Integrating a cystic fibrosis simulation scenario to enhance pre-licensure educational understanding of genomics

Abstract

Background and objective: Integration of patient simulations into the nursing student curricula have been shown to be effective and innovative teaching enhancements leading to enhanced knowledge, clinical reasoning and judgment for students, whilst promoting optimal patient care. This pilot study aimed to explore how the use of a simulation, with a genetic component of a Cystic Fibrosis (CF) case scenario, improved the self-perceived knowledge comprehension of pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students of a large diverse urban School of Nursing.

Methods: Three assessment surveys were utilized to glean data: nine multiple choice questions explored factual content of CF pre/post simulation; five question survey explored self-perception of knowledge and one open-ended simplified critical incident report provided qualitative data.

Results: Twenty-four pre-licensure third year nursing students participated (three groups of eight students). All participants agreed that their understanding of the genetic component of CF improved post simulation. Four major themes emerged from the qualitative data: genomics and nursing; patient education; teamwork exercise and patient-nurse relationship. 

Conclusions: Integrating a genetically-based condition into a simulation, whereby students are expected to research the condition, engage in patient education, facilitate effective and appropriate nursing care enriches their critical thinking, confidence, skills and knowledge acquisition.