Simulated community spaces and nurses’ preparedness for practice.


Green and Bull (2013, in press)  report the findings of a study undertaken during 2011-12 examining how the construction of simulated spaces influence undergraduate nursing students’ preparedness for practice.

The authors discuss the configuration of simulation environments and the focus of their enquiry.  Green and Bull (2013) undertook field observation, interviews and focus groups to capture before and after community space simulation environments were introduced into laboratories at this University and reflections from students about how simulated community spaces impacted on their learning in practice.

This paper provides useful insights about the configuration of simulation environments that often reflect a tertiary hospital focus and may unintentionally recreate health care environment stereotypes.

Green and Bull discuss (2013) discuss the themes that emerged from the analysis of the data. The main themes were constructed space as a reflection of values; as a trigger to critical thinking and as a catalyst to develop confidence. The findings indicated that students found the alternative simulation space valuable because it enabled them to think about space differently when they were in practice.  The authors reported that students found they were better prepared for different health care environments and were able to think about provision of care using a range of equipment that may not be traditionally provided in simulation environments.

Clinical supervision is undertaken in a range of health care environments including community and primary health settings. The introduction of the use of community spaces can provide a context to prepare students for these placements.  It may also be useful as indicated by the authors to assist with the development of critical thinking skills required in any health care environment. Additionally, students may become more confident earlier with support and guidance from their clinical supervisors because they are already familiar with the out of hospital context through undertaking practice in a simulated community space.

If you have any comments of suggestions about the use of community spaces in the simulation environment you are welcome to post them here.

Due to Easter there will be no blog next week. If you get the any break over this period, Enjoy.  If not, there are thousands of patients and relatives that are glad you are there for them.

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