Virtual Patient Simulation Use Across Disciplines: Student Perceptions of the Use of the Virtual Patient Simulation ‘Ready to Practice?’ on Their Clinical Reasoning

Abstract

The ability to reason clinically is an essential competency for students training to become clinicians, nurses and pharmacists aiming to provide safe and effective treatment to patients within complex and constantly transforming health care institutions. Medical, nursing and pharmacy educators are charged with the ethical and professional obligation to instruct students in ways that prepare them for the workforce. Educators generate learning opportunities through which students’ clinical reasoning abilities are cultivated. Simulation provides learning opportunities through which clinical reasoning abilities are developed and utilized (Kaddoura, 2010). This descriptive qualitative study aimed to explore the ways in which undergraduate health care students from different disciplines utilise clinical reasoning strategies to navigate the virtual patient simulation ‘Ready to Practice?’ and if there are any marked differences between the groups. A sample of seventeen undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB), Bachelor of Nursing (BNurs) and Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) students participated in the study. The sample was comprised of fourth year medicine (n=10) and pharmacy students (n=5) and third year nursing (n=2) students. Data was collected through completion of the VPS and semi-structured interviews. Utilising an inductive approach to thematic analysis (Crabtree & Mill, 1999), interview transcription data of the participant’s discourse was analysed to establish themes. Four main themes arose from this analysis including 1) the reasoning strategies described by participants: hypothetico-deductive, pattern recognition, inductive and prioritising, 2) the value of education and experience 3) the desire for support and 4) the importance on interdisciplinary learning.