Curriculum Design Introduction

As Terzioglu, Tuna and Duygulu (2013) state, “learning from experience is an important part of nursing education [and] using simulation as an innovative teaching strategy in nursing education” is an effective way to reinforce technique, principles, knowledge, skills and practice (p. 34). Simulation gives nursing students the opportunity to engage with real world dynamics in a controlled environment where they can receive immediate feedback following their active learning experience. This curriculum is designed to engage students in the art of simulation, and to highlight the importance of realistic experiences in the learning process.

Need for This Program

Nguyen et al. (2009) note that clinical knowledge and the skills and experience needed to treat patients with sepsis is lacking in the nursing field. This program has been developed to address this gap. Ortiz-Ruiz et al. (2018) have stated that “simulation is an efficient method for teaching in sepsis” (p. 151). For that reason, this program aims to use simulation to give nursing students the opportunity to receive sepsis training that can prepare them for the real world of nursing.

Who Benefits

Nursing students benefit first and foremost from this curriculum. Knowles (1984) suggested four principles that are applied to adult learning and that apply to the reason nursing students benefit from this curriculum. The principles are:

1. Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction.

2. Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for the learning activities.

3. Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact to their job or personal life.

4. Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented (Knowles, 1984).

This curriculum allows educators to become facilitators of adult education, helping the adult learner to set and achieve goals and guide them in choosing the subjects and courses needed to fulfill these goals. This is important because the adult learner brings into the continuing educational arena a rich array of experiences that will affect the learning styles and assimilation of knowledge. Adult learners need to be able to apply the knowledge into their life situations.

The Effects

The advantage of an interdisciplinary nursing curriculum is that it encourages and empowers students to think critically and creatively and to be able to use the knowledge from other programs of study and incorporate that into their practice. If they were just to study and understand what is in their field then they would not be able to understand and appreciate what others are contributing to the care of these patients. Everyone in the healthcare field has a role, and everyone working together as a team makes it that much better not only for themselves, but for the patient as well. The World Health Organization recommends that students begin using the principles of teamwork in their education immediately because learning how to communicate effectively and work together can be time consuming, learning teamwork within the context of medical curricula will make students better prepared (Why is Teamwork in Health Care Important, n.d.).

General Description

This course is designed to educate the students on sepsis and to better...

The course emphasizes the importance of early detection and that implementation of evidence-based guidelines are followed to ensure patient survival. Using sepsis as an impetus, this course will serve to educate future health care educators on the art of simulation as an educational modality. The foundations, design, articulation and evaluation of simulation will be accomplished using the pathophysiological processes of sepsis as a primary topic.
Mission and Philosophy

The mission and philosophy statements can be found in the Appendix.

The Foundational Theoretical Nursing Model

Dorthea Orem’s Self Care Model is the theoretical nursing model that serves as the foundational nursing model for this curriculum. Orem’s theory holds that self-care comprises those activities performed independently by an individual to promote and maintain person well-being (Nursing Theorists, 2011). Nurses should be able to operate independently, use critical thinking to make good decisions both for their patients and for themselves, and this curriculum was designed to promote and utilize the self care theory by guiding and supporting the students, which, ultimately, will help the students grow in confidence and become self-empowered nurses. If the student is dependent on someone or something else, then they will not be successful in what they do and will not be driven to continue their education. This model, therefore, helps to nourish the idea in the student that he or she is the main driver of success and that to succeed in nursing, he or she must become an active learner who takes ownership of the educative process.

Program Components

Course Objectives

At the end of this course the student will:

1. Identify and explore various modalities of simulation utilized in the educational setting

2. Understand and discuss the value of simulation in the educational setting and its impact on developing critical thinking processes and clinical skills

3. Design, construct, and perform various simulations involving the treatment of patients with sepsis/septic shock

Evaluation Methods

Students will be evaluated in this class by a combination of the following:

· Written or computerized quiz/exam

· Essay/Research Paper

· Group Q&A

· Return demo on simulation lab safety and operations

· Sim-lab evaluation

· Evaluation/test using different patient scenarios. 

· Each team will work through a mock code together.

Teaching Methods and Learning Strategies

Differentiation strategies, scaffolding, visual aids, and both low-fidelity and high-fidelity simulations will be used to instruct students. Low-fidelity simulations will include interactive multimedia patient simulation exercises and role playing; high-fidelity simulations will include clinical scenarios. Role playing has been found to be an effective method for simulation exercises as it gives students the opportunity to try out scenarios in an active manner; high fidelity simulations are best for advanced students (Munshi et al., 2015).

Learning strategies will include active learning (reading, role…