Research paper in Technology Health, Medicine, Nursing Research Paper

Virtual Simulation
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Abstract
Technology continues to usher the world into new and greater heights of success. One example of revolutionary technology is virtual simulation which appears to be the solution to some issues currently being experienced in nursing education. Hospitals are in need of practice-ready nurses. However, in the current nursing programs, only a small number of applicants are accepted because of the inadequacy of clinical sites. The above thus adds to the problem of nursing shortage which heavily impacts patient outcomes. However, the advent of virtual simulation and its use in nursing education seems to have helped nursing educators deal with the problems highlighted above. Other benefits of integrating virtual simulation in nursing education are that it helps enhance students’ communication skills, critical thinking skills, and clinical reasoning. Like any other technological innovation, virtual simulation also has its disadvantages but these are outweighed by the benefits. Some changes are imminent, however, if nursing education is to make good use of virtual simulation. Some recommendations include curriculum mapping and the introduction of enhanced virtual environments.
Virtual Simulation
Introduction
With technological innovations taking over the world, it has become imperative that every sector finds a way to integrate and enhance its effectiveness. In the education sector, technology has also been adopted. In nursing education, for example, numerous technologies have been adopted to help ensure that nurses are practice-ready after they leave school. In a national survey conducted in 2017, Wolters Kluwer Health announced that more nursing education programs are integrating new technologies to help ensure nursing graduates are practice-ready. One particular piece of technology that has been used in nursing education is virtual simulation. Virtual simulation is simply explained as the simulation or imitation of reality in a virtual environment. The goal of simulating reality is to help participants explore the virtual environment which is manipulated with real variables. In nursing education, for example, the virtual environment could be manipulated with practical challenges or intense/high-risk clinical experiences. In replicating the real world, it is believed that nurses are able to enhance self-efficacy and possibly clinical reasoning.
Background
Currently, there is a shortage of clinical sites for nursing students, and the need for a solution to this issue is growing (Lippincott Nursing Education, 2017). Furthermore, hospitals continue to have growing demands for practice-ready nurses. However, with many nursing education programs adopting virtual simulation, these problems are slowly being dealt with. The survey done by Wolters Kluwer Health in 2017 revealed that currently, 65% of nursing education programs have integrated virtual simulation. With such trends, the healthcare sector is set to greatly enhance healthcare outcomes with the graduation of practice-ready nurses. Every addition or technological idea is conceived to help deal with particular issues in society, and virtual simulation appears to have been introduced to alleviate issues in the healthcare sector.
The healthcare sector has always been at the forefront with regard to the use of new technologies. With the integration of virtual simulation in nursing education, nurse educators are showing their resolve and dedication to “advancing the use of technology in the classroom” (Wolters Kluwer Health, 2017). With technology, there is always the possibility of growth and evolution. So, the expectation is that next-generation solutions will offer better remedies to the current state of events. The receptiveness of new technologies by nurse educators will indeed make it easier for the healthcare sector to make the transition.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of virtual simulation in nursing education. In studying the adoption of virtual simulation in nursing, this report seeks to showcase the changes being experienced in nursing education and how they are impacting or driving change.
Using Virtual Simulation in Nursing Education
The integration of virtual simulation in nursing education is currently ongoing. However, there are a few courses that seem to have already seen the introduction of virtual simulation. For example, mental health, anatomy, and end of life care. According to Aebersold (2018), the use of virtual simulation in nursing education has proven to be a great addition. Aside from helping the students develop self-efficacy, virtual simulation in mental health education helps nurses develop therapeutic communication skills. With nurses having to test their skills in a virtual environment, it is highly likely that their decision-making and critical thinking skills will also be enhanced.
With regard to end-of-life care, the integration of virtual simulation has also played a major role. Aebersold (2018) writes that learning about palliative care through virtual simulation helps nurses develop skills that help them offer adequate care for their patients while also managing the family’s grief. Kozhevnikov et al. (2018) agree with the above stating that with the competency of palliative care providers calling for patient-centered communication as well as the management of pain, virtual simulation appears to be the apt solution. Aside from the skills one acquires, Aebersold (2018) adds that nursing students also learn about the concept of a “good death.” This is simply described as a death that is free from unnecessary pain, stress, and suffering for the patient and family as well.
Another example of the use of virtual simulation in nursing education is anatomy teaching. The quality of anatomy teaching even for surgeons and other healthcare practitioners has been greatly affected due to the lack of anatomical specimens. However, Zhang et al. (2019) offer a description of factors namely modeling, interaction, and perception, and how these are used to help in creating virtual environments that can be used for anatomy teaching. With current technological innovations allowing the development of 3-D digital anatomical models, anatomy teaching even for nurses has been revolutionized. The dissemination of anatomical knowledge has thus been made easier with 3D digital models offering a realistic teaching resource (Zhang et al., 2019).
Advantages of Use for Education
One of the main advantages of the use of virtual simulation in nursing education is they provide an immediate solution to the shortage of clinical sites. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2019), in 2018, 75,029 qualified applicants were turned away from “baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs.” Among the chief reasons for the above was the insufficiency of clinical sites as well as classroom space. With the introduction and use of virtual simulation in nursing education, these problems are slowly being alleviated.
The second advantage of the use of virtual simulation for nursing education is the fact that it is helping to churn out practice-ready nurses. As already indicated, the demand for practice-ready nurses continues to grow and virtual simulation appears to be the answer to this demand. In their study, Padilha et al. (2019) write that the use of clinical virtual simulation helps to improve clinical reasoning, as well as knowledge retention for nursing students. A majority of their respondents also confirmed that their learning experience is also satisfactory as a result of the use of clinical virtual simulation.
Disadvantages of Use for Education
One disadvantage of using virtual simulation in nursing education is the fact that it is not real. During real clinical situations, students can be stressed, tense, and panicked because real situations offer greater challenges.
Aside from the above, there is also the fact that virtual simulation is expensive. Virtual simulation in nursing education calls for the recruitment of new personnel and the purchase of very expensive equipment (Bruce and ...