Workshop Topic: Research

Background:
A four-centers, collaborative group of BSN training educators developed and instituted an online Safe
Patient Handover Communication Curriculum designed to be used in conjunction with simulated practice of the specific skills in their programs. We undertook a prospective, pre- and post-intervention design study to test cognitive retention and perceived effectiveness of the curriculum. Only 10% of initialing consenting students and educators completed the study limiting our statistical analysis. However, participants’ pre- and post-test exam scores were not statistically significantly different (t=0.906; 45 df, p>.05). The majority felt the curriculum was effective. We concluded the online learning, combined with simulation-based practice, for routine and urgent patient handover techniques is effective for BSN students worthy of future testing.

Description of Workshop:
This workshop will share the online method we were able to develop for the multi-institutional
sharing of the curriculum and capturing cognitive testing data as well as the questionnaires and simulation checklist
evaluation devices that can be used for this type of research. Using an interactive discussion format we will explore the downfalls of our study design and discuss how to address these limiting issues in future research of this curriculum.

Learning Objectives:

Participants to this workshop will be able to:
1. Discuss the limitations of multi-institutional curriculum research.
2. Outline research methods that can help reduce attrition of study participants in curriculum evaluation studies.
3. Explain how to focus future research on translation from curriculum to simulation to practice to patients.