Effects of Infection Control Education for Nursing Students Using Standardized Patients vs. Peer Role-Play

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify and compare the effects of two education programs for infection control―a simulation using standardized patients and a peer role-play―on standard precaution knowledge, standard precaution awareness, infection-related anxiety, and infection control performance. This study used a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. A total of 62 undergraduate nursing students in their 3rd year participated in the study, and were assigned to the experimental and control groups, accordingly. The infection control education program was developed based on the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model. The program for the experimental group included lectures, skills training, simulation using standardized patients, and debriefing, while the control group participated in the usual infection control education, consisting of lectures, skills training, and peer tutoring practices. Both groups exhibited statistically significant increases in knowledge, awareness of standard precaution, and infection control performance after the intervention. Infection-related anxiety and infection control performance were significantly higher in the simulation using a standardized patient group. Both education programs influenced compliance with the standard precaution for infection control. The results of this study contribute to the evidence regarding effective educational methods to improve infection control.

Nursing Students’ Perceptions on Healthcare-Associated Infection Control and Prevention Teaching and Learning Experience in Portugal

“…Students' motivation seems to be positively influenced by the existence of sufficient theoretical-practical lessons on this topic, along with an adequate teacher-student ratio and adequate number of resources in laboratory sessions. Likewise, implementing simulation-based scenarios in HAI prevention and control seems to be another well-received pedagogical strategy that contributes to students' self-efficacy in this field, which converges with results from previous studies [20][21][22].…”

The role of simulation-based training in healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention

“…15,16 Standardized patients, which are real people portraying the role of patients, have been utilized to practice standard precautions and interpersonal skills. 10 Virtual reality (high fidelity) has also taught healthcare personnel to safely don and doff PPE, 34 as virtual reality help learners to gain knowledge on the proper process of a procedure in a scalable fashion. In prior outbreaks, mid-and high-fidelity manikins, which are full-body manikins, were utilized to mimic patient encounters with rare communicable diseases like Ebola and SARS, aiding in the identification of errors in infection control measures.…”

COVID-19 infection control education for medical students undergoing clinical clerkship: a mixed-method approach

“…Simulation of infection control practices in obstetrics using actual patients as COVID-19 cases improved compliance with standard precautions for IPC [ 8 ]. To educate students who will undertake the role of health care professionals, COVID-19 infection control simulations and peer role-playing were conducted for nursing students, and they were encouraged to learn about the use of PPE [ 9 ]. Unlike medical professionals, medical students often have insufficient knowledge and awareness about the risks of infection, including COVID-19, which may be contracted and transmitted to others, including patients in hospitals or medical centers.…”

“…Peer role-play is also a low-cost method that can be integrated into practice [ 6 ]. Some reports on educational practices focusing on IPC for COVID-19 have been made available by medical professionals working in the field and by nursing students [ 7 – 9 ]. However, there are few reports of educational practices on IPC for COVID-19 among medical students.…”