Integrating Simulation, Theory, & Clinical Practice in undergraduate Nursing Education: The Challenge!

When the university changed its curriculum and increased the focus on public health/community nursing to a full semester, our challenge, along with a committee of public health experts was to develop a dynamic and relevant syllabus. Most of all, we wanted to create a program that seamlessly integrated theory, simulation and clinical practicum; met all of the standards (SBN, ANA, Quad Council), motivated students and introduced them to the entrepreneurial opportunities within the vast field of public health nursing. We developed a series of three modules: Epidemiology: Measuring and Managing Population Health; Community as Client: Partnerships and Engagements; Community-Based Nursing Practice. Simulation concepts evolved directly from the subjects covered in the didactic sessions and included: boot camp, pretested home care, MCI, other home care scenarios, palliative care, PTSD, asthma, “baby bottle rot”, epidemiology, transition. Clinical practicum is two days per week in two sites one population-based; one individual-focused (prison, homeless shelters, schools, home care agencies, hospice, adult day centers, substance abuse treatment centers, wheel chair community, primary care, public health centers, at risk youth programs, public health department), service learning (free library partnership, transitional care (well baby and mom), partnership with SDM (dental bus, schools, camps, adult day centers). Course evaluation included tests, policy briefs, OpEd, epidemiology problem sets, community assessments, service learning project, reflective clinical log and detailed evaluation tool focused on clinical skills.