Using high fidelity simulation to impact occupational therapy student knowledge, comfort, and confidence in acute care

Credentials Display

Debra Gibbs, EdD, MHS, OTR/L,CAPS, FAOTA; Mary S. Dietrich, PhD; Emmy Dagnan, OTD, OTR/L, CLAT, CPAM

Abstract

Background: As the demand for occupational and physical therapists in acute care settings is increasing, students are reporting a need for increased educational preparation to handle the complexities they may face in this setting. This pretest/posttest study examines the impact of an inter-professional high fidelity simulation experience on perceived levels of knowledge, comfort, and confidence among occupational therapy doctorate students when handling an acutely ill patient in an ICU setting.

Methods: Two cohorts of occupational therapy students participated in an inter-professional acute care scenario with high fidelity simulation mannequins (Cohort 1, n = 19; Cohort 2, n = 27). Before and after the simulation, the students rated their perceived level of knowledge, comfort, and confidence with handling acutely ill patients.

Results: A two-tailed Wilcoxin Signed-Ranks indicated that posttest ranks were statistically significantly higher than pretest ranks with α = .05 indicating improvement in students’ perceived levels of knowledge, comfort, and confidence after participating in an acute care simulation.

Conclusion: High fidelity simulation can positively impact students’ perceptions of their knowledge, comfort, and confidence in handling acutely ill patients.

Recommended Citation

Gibbs, D. M., Dietrich, M., & Dagnan, E. (2017). Using high fidelity simulation to impact occupational therapy student knowledge, comfort, and confidence in acute care. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.1225