End-of-life simulation: a cross-field evaluation in an undergraduate nursing programme.

Abstract

Background: Death can cause a great deal of anxiety in nursing students for a variety of reasons. They are expected to provide a high level of care for patients, give the family the respect and patience they deserve and contend with the associated emotional attachments. This raised the question in today's educational world-can the use of technology and simulation aid students in preparing for an end-of-life scenario as part of an undergraduate nursing programme?

Aim: To explore the efficacy of the use of simulations in end-of-life care.

Method: A small study focusing upon the evaluation of an end-of-life simulated scenario for undergraduate second year cross-field Bachelor of Nursing students in a university setting. The simulated scenario consisted of a young patient who was dying and her mother. This project used a mixed approach to address varied students' learning styles and combined the need for visualisation and more structured base-sessions on the topic of death and end-of-life care. One student from the cohort group was randomly assigned as the nurse in charge, while other students were allocated to a scenario (out of a potential four) and provided care in real time. Subsequently, the impact of the scenario was assessed and students were immediately debriefed. Students' response to the scenario was important and needed to be considered, as it directly influenced the debriefing. There were some significant differences between how the students approached the scenario and their reaction to it.

Results: Of the students who took part in the end-of-life simulated scenario, the majority strongly agreed that the simulation increased their clinical reasoning and learning.

Conclusion: The end-of-life scenario was deemed beneficial, despite the emotional impact on the learners involved.