A unique conference presentation by an interdisciplinary team of
Kirkhof College of Nursing faculty, Simulation Center staff members
and a doctoral student received national recognition and brought
session attendees to tears.
The team created a poster presentation on therapeutic
end-of-life communication using standard patients and a computerized
patient simulator, or SimMan. Team members were Ruthann Brintnall,
associate professor of nursing; Kelly Tomaszewski, standardized
patient program coordinator; and Carol Robinson, a nursing doctoral student.
The poster received first place at the Association of
Standardized Patient Educators conference in early June. It depicted
the results of showing videotaped scenarios to a nursing class to help
students become more comfortable communicating end-of-life directives
with patients and their families.
In the videos, Robinson talked with standard patients Larry and
Audrey after Larry was told of his cancer diagnosis. It was
reminiscent of a soap opera and had all the characters: the tearful
wife, the caring nurse, and the stoic patient.
Robinson said the video mirrored actual situations, as many
patients tend to shut down after hearing the word "cancer"
from a physician, making it difficult to communicate directives with
patients and family members. Robinson had worked as a hospice and
palliative care nurse and is in the first cohort of KCON's doctoral class.
"Less than four percent of student nurses get a chance to
perform end-of-life care skills and therapeutic communication, and
less than 10 percent of practice nurses report they received
undergraduate or continuing education in palliative or end-of-life
care," Robinson said.
Tomaszewski said it created the perfect scenario for using the
Simulation Center’s resources. "Simulation is a safe place to
practice," she said. "Students are able to practice basic
skills that will get them closer to becoming a professional."
Standard patients are healthy people trained to portray physical
symptoms and concerns of a patient.
Brintnall used the videos in her End of Life Care course, a
general education course open to all students. She said while many
students had not yet experienced death of a family member, they were
deeply moved by the videos.
"They made comments that they don't have the experience to
do this, that it would be scary," Brintnall said. "I told
them if you have nothing to say, you say this: 'I know you are sad. I
don't know what to say, but I want you to know that I care. I will do
my best to help you.'"
Tomaszewski said many people at the ASPE conference were
teary-eyed through the presentation but interested in the details of
how to replicate the session at their institutions.
Unique presentation earns first place for health care team
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