Healthcare & Technologies

Biography

Biography: Becky Faett

Abstract

Numerous studies demonstrate the delivery of care through telecommunications is effective. With reimbursement a reality, the growth of telehealth will be exponential. Simulating telehealth is a critically necessary, safe, and effective process that prepares students for the present and the future delivery of health care. Operationalize the complexities of remote care requires practice. This initiative explores the intricacies of launching a sustainable telehealth simulation symposium with faculty new to simulation while studying the impact on students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes. Using best practice standards this innovation supports faculty teaching in a challenging new environment while cultivating student’s clinical judgment outside of the clinical arena. The design, based on course objectives and university level nursing essentials, provided structured evidenced based simulation that enabled students to recognize and implement best practices in assessment, remote intervention, self-management education and caregiver support. 140 students practiced telehealth from both the urban clinician and rural caregiver vantage. Significant difference with moderate to large effect size were found in the students’ self-evaluation regarding communication strategies, assessment with sensory limitations, remote intervention, self-management education, and caregiver support. Focus group methodology was used to evaluate the telehealth simulation sceneries. 10% of students who participated in the project were asked to provide evaluation data. Content analysis was used to identify themes and used to refine the structure and content of the simulation sessions. Three themes; the challenges, the imperative to teach well with ever patient contact, and creative problem solving was identified in focus groups. Future practice is planned with at-risk new mothers in the junior year and studying long term retention in the senior year.