Speed Sims: An Innovative Approach to Nursing Education

Abstract

Speed Simulation offers a unique twist to the concept of simulation by bringing students to the point of learning and offering opportunity for maximum exposure to multiple concepts. This method was used in a recent Nurse Educator Institute (NEDI), designed to advance the educational skills of hospital nurse educators and preceptors. Twenty course participants were a part of this 3-hour undergraduate/graduate blended elective. The goal of the Speed Sims activity was to provide hospital educators and preceptors with simulation exercises to enact the principles learned in the NEDI. The five-step process is outlined in Table 1, including the integration of graduate students as authors of the seven case scenarios for role-play and as "standardized students." For this modality, the standardized student is a live person who is trained not only to portray behaviors and skills of frequently encountered problems or issues with students and new nursing staff in the clinical setting, but also to evaluate the learners' actions (Kyle & Murray, 2008). Preliminary needs assessment for the NEDI indicated a critical need for content regarding clinical supervision, principles, and methods. Sixteen hours of the NEDI were devoted to didactic presentations and homework regarding clinical supervision and evaluation. Next, the NEDI graduate students and faculty developed scenarios that would challenge the institute participate to handle (1) an overconfident student, (2) a student sharing confidential information via Facebook, (3) a disorganized student, (4) a student who makes a medication error, (5) an unprofessional student, (6) an unmotivated student, and (7) a student who has a "meltdown" (Table 2). Handouts of educational theory and methodologies were given afterward, along with a written synopsis of the rules, regulations, standards, and expectations of the educator in such an actual scenario. To contribute to the environmental and psychological fidelity, the simulations were conducted in the School of Nursing Clinical Simulation Center.